Phantasm
by LadyLoki89
Summary: Takes place before Dark World. After attempting to escape her abusive husband, Anna Marie Solecki is offered to be taken away, along with her infant daughter, to the one place she's certain her husband will never be able to reach her. But once she starts attracting the attention of the trickster god, she fears she made a mistake.
1. Prologue

**Phantasm  
**by, LadyLoki89

* * *

**Summary:** Takes place before Dark World. After escaping her abusive husband, Anna Marie Solecki, at the request of her old friend Jane Foster, finds a new home for herself and her daughter in the safety of Asgard, the one place she feels confident her husband will never find her. But when she attracts the attention of the trickster god, she wonders if she s truly made things better for herself.

**Warnings:** violence, sexual content, language. I own nothing from the Thor universe.

* * *

**Prologue**

My breathing still came in heavy pants and my head was spinning. At my feet, a team of nurses  
worked away in a hurry while I could hear a tiny voice wailing and screaming, and I caught  
glimpses of tiny arms shaking around in their suddenly vast surroundings.

"Lay her on her mother's chest," a nurse said. "You can finish wiping her off there. Let her see  
her baby." Before I knew it, they laid her on my chest, and a pair of dark blue eyes looked up at  
me while her tiny pink body shivered. The nurses were soon on her again with their cleaning rags,  
patting her down and rubbing her body clean, causing her to squawk in protest. "It may look like  
we're being rough, but we need her to cry so she'll work everything out of her airway," one of  
them explained.

"No, it's okay," I stuttered, smiling down at her. "Oh my god, she's so little!"

"She's perfect." I looked up at my husband, smiling in agreement as he smiled down at her.

"All right, we're going to take her away for just a moment while you get stitched up." They lifted  
her off of me and I watched as they carried her to the other end of the room, still screaming and  
fussing.

"Can you get my mom?" I asked. I knew she was waiting in the hall impatiently, and I felt the  
sudden need for her to be there.

"I think it would be better if our parents came in after the stitches," my husband said in a kind  
but firm voice. I frowned and looked to the nurse who smiled at me.

"I'm sure Grandma can't wait to see her grandbaby," she said. "I'll get her for you." Before my  
husband could stop her, she was out the door, and moments later my mom was beside me with a big  
smile.

"You did it!" she said with a smile, stroking my hair.

"She's over there," I said, nodding my head to where they were weighing and measuring her.

"Oh I'll wait til they're done. I don't want to be in the way," she said, unable to resist the  
urge to look over and try to see over the nurses. After a moment, she turned her eyes back on me.  
"How are you feeling?"

"Sore," I sighed, trying not to look at the nurses who were giving me stitches. "Tired." She  
laughed and nodded.

"Sounds about right." She patted my shoulder and looked again towards the baby. It felt like hours  
before they finally brought her back to me, and soon it was just us, my husband stepping outside  
to fetch my father and his parents.

I looked down at the little girl in my arms, now sleeping and my mom kissed my cheek. "So," she  
asked. "Can you imagine life without her?"

I shook my head with a smile, reaching down and gently taking one of her tiny hands in mine. "No,"  
I answered.

Three days later we were on our way home, and I prayed as I left the hospital that this would  
really be a new beginning for us.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

11:59pm

My eyes hadn't moved from the digital clock all night. I could reasonably get up by now and get started with what I had to do. A minute probably wouldn't make that much of a difference. But as I lay there, trying to reason with myself, I just couldn't find the motivation to take any chances. His shift started exactly at midnight, and that's when I could be certain he was locked into his 8 hour shift and not about to walk in because he forgot something on his way out, only to spot me and ruin everything.

My heart was pounding in my chest. This was probably the worst possible idea for me. But doing nothing would be worse.

12am. Time to move.

I threw the sheets off my body and darted to the dresser at the end of the room, pulling open the drawers and taking out a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. I wasn't going to waste time packing. Clothing could be replaced. Besides, I knew if I left my things behind, there was always the chance it would make him think for at least a few hours that perhaps I had simply gone out for groceries or other errands, and I needed all the time I could buy myself.

After I had my shoes on, I stepped into the nursery, not turning on any lights. I didn't want to attract the attention of the neighbors, and a crying infant would do exactly that. In the dark I grabbed the diaper bag, stuffing a few onesies and pajamas inside, as well as whatever diapers and wipes we still had, and lastly a bottle and can of formula I had purchased a few days ago and hidden for tonight. I'd bought it with cash so he would never know we'd had it in the first place and he would never notice it missing. Again, I knew I was clinging on to a small hope that he would think I had simply left to run errands and would wait before pursuing me, but if it worked it would make all the difference.

I had everything I needed for now, and I looked at the clock on the little pink nightstand. 12:15am. I had 7 hours and 45 minutes until his shift ended. That was all the time I had to put distance between this damned house and my daughter and me. I would not waste a minute. Carefully, I lifted Emma from her crib, trying so hard not to wake her, and moved to place her in her car seat/carrier.

The sudden, loud rumble of the garage door made my blood come to a complete stop in my veins.

There was no choice now. I couldn't get Emma back in her bed and get myself back into my pajamas and in bed before he'd make it out of his car and into the house. The only thing to do now was to run.

Knowing I couldn't get Emma in the carrier fast enough, I held her firmly with one arm and carried the carrier down with me. I would get us a few blocks away and pull into some corner where he wouldn't think to look, and then I would get her in her seat, I decided quickly. I silently moved into the shadows and made my way to the front door, turning the deadbolt as quietly as I could, followed by the lock on the knob. I heard the driver's side door open and slam shut from within the garage.

Turning the knob, I pulled the front door open and stepped around it, firmly holding Emma for dear life. The door that lead into the garage opened on the other end of the house, and I quickly, but quietly closed the front door, running out to my car parked in the driveway. The boxes he'd still not unpacked but had left in the garage, keeping me from being able to park in there, had finally come in handy.

I opened the driver's side, setting the carrier into the passenger's seat and tossing the diaper bag into the back, and I slid into the driver's seat, slamming the car door and scrambling to get the keys into the ignition. I turned off the headlights, the street lights being more than enough for me to see for a ways, and I started the car up, pulling out of the driveway and speeding down the street as fast as I could.

Looking up into the rear-view mirror, I saw the garage door to the house open and my husband's SUV peel out. "Shit!" I hissed, holding Emma tighter in my lap with one arm, my free hand gripping the wheel. I took a sharp turn around the corner and sped on, hoping enough twists and turns would lose him. Emma began to fuss and I attempted in vain to hush her, her screaming being the last thing my nerves needed, and it only reminded me how dangerous driving with her like this was. Part of me thought of pulling over and giving up. Maybe he would only take out his anger on me. But then maybe he wouldn't.

I stepped on the gas and took another sharp turn, Emma screaming even louder.

I was barely able to recognize the pair of headlights rushing at me from the left, and the rest was lost in a blur or tire screeches, the crushing of the door, and the shattering of glass.

* * *

The beeping of the EKG machine was the first thing I heard. I hadn't opened my eyes yet, but I was gradually becoming aware of the sounds and smells around me. The beeping told me immediately that I was in a hospital, and the scratchy feel of the bedding was unmistakable. I was still not awake enough to wonder why I was here. The only thing that I could think about was a pair of headlights. Why were headlights so important?

My eyes snapped open, and I moved to sit up, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me. "Whoa! Don't do that!"

I blinked a few times before looking at the hand on my shoulder, then up to its owner. It wasn't a nurse, but a young woman staring down at me with dark brown eyes. She seemed familiar to me but I couldn't put a name to her face.

"Don't do that," she repeated nervously. "You shouldn't be moving around or you'll hurt yourself."

"Emma…" I muttered groggily, looking around the room. "Where's Emma?"

"She's probably sleeping in the nursery. I'll page the nurse." She reached over to the intercom and pressed the call button. A few moments later a voice came on. "Anna's awake."

"Someone will be there in a moment," was the reply and I settled back into the pillow, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

"How long have I been out?" I asked.

"Two days," she answered. "Do you remember anything?"

I did, but I wasn't about to discuss what I was doing until I knew who she was. Before I could even ask, a nurse stepped in, wheeling in a hospital bassinet with a sleeping baby inside. "Emma!" I gasped. "Oh thank God!" They wheeled her beside my bed and I reached a hand inside, running my finger over one of her tiny fists. Her fingers uncurled and wrapped around my finger, and I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my face.

"You're very lucky," said the nurse. "You both are. That collision was pretty bad, and neither of you were restrained." I didn't say anything. I couldn't. I was too overcome with emotion just looking down at Emma sleeping so soundly without a scratch on her. The nurse waited patiently for me to compose myself, and I gradually became aware the young woman was still in the room with us.

"Who are you?" I asked her. "Why are you here?"

She responded with a small smile. "My name is Jane," she answered. "Jane Foster. I'm not surprised if you don't recognize me, it's been years. We went to high school together."

Somewhere in the back of my memories I remembered several different classrooms over the years and a young girl around my age taking notes, raising her hand, turning the pages in her text books…

"Right…" I muttered, now even more confused. We were never friends. Why was she here? How did she even know I was here to begin with?

"Normally, I would wait a few days for you to recover a little more," the nurse said, walking to the door and closing it before returning her gaze to me. "But given the circumstances, I don't think we have the time." She pulled up a chair and sat on the other side of the bed, opposite Emma, and leaned forward, her elbows on her knees an her hands folded in front of her.

"First of all, I want you to know your daughter is absolutely fine. No broken bones, barely and bruises or cuts, and from what we can tell from all the testing there was no brain damage, despite the level of impact you both endured."

"Thank God," I repeated, feeling tears sting my eyes again.

"But you, on the other hand, you've been in a coma for two days. And you have a broken leg and three fractured ribs." It was only when she said it that I became aware that I was even in pain at all. My mind had been so focused on Emma, I had hardly paid attention to my own physical state. "Normally, we run tests to make sure you brain is continuing to function normally and assess if there's been any damage, but as I already said, I don't think we have the time."

I opened my mouth to ask why, but a possible answer dawned on me, so instead I asked, "My husband? Where is-"

"He was taken to a different hospital and discharged the next day with barely any injuries." I sat stunned, not knowing how to respond. The nurse took my hand as if she understood. "While the car wreck left plenty of marks on your body, there were some injuries that… made it more than obvious to me why you were running in such a state with your daughter." I closed my eyes and more tears fell.

"So what happens now?" I asked. I heard her sigh and I opened my eyes.

"I'm afraid this is where you're going to get pissed. It doesn't look good for you."

"What do you mean?"

"I can tell your husband's been beating you, Anna. And with my report, it's very likely the court will look in favor to you. But social services are being ruthless, I'm afraid. Technically, she's not even supposed to be in the room with you right now."

I blinked several times. "I… I don't understand…"

"Your husband got a lawyer and is now trying to get full custody of your daughter so he can take her away."

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"It's like this, Mrs. Solecki. You were driving recklessly in your car without a seat belt and without properly restraining your baby. You got in an accident that almost killed you both. And unfortunately you already have a record of mental illness-"

"Not since I was 15!" I cried, feeling my cheeks burning with anger. "And that was depression! My doctor took me off the meds a year later and I haven't had any problems since!"

"I'm aware, Mrs. Solecki. But there's been no reports filed against your husband for any sort of domestic abuse… as far as this looks right now, to them it seems you snapped, tried to run away with your child, and then tried to kill your husband when he tried to stop you."

"That's not true!" I screamed, the EKG going crazy as my heart rate went through the roof.

"Anna, calm down! It's going to be okay," Jane said, stepping closer. My breathing was ragged, and I looked up at her.

"Why are you here?" The question came out sharper than I meant it to, but it barely seemed to bother her.

"I'm here to help," she answered.

"Mrs. Solecki," said the nurse, lowering her voice so she wouldn't be heard by anyone outside the room. "I've seen too many women like you get screwed over by social services just because someone didn't do their job right. Frankly, I'm not willing to sit by and watch it happen again." Looked to Jane and then back to her, wondering what exactly they had in mind.

"I know we were never really friends, Anna, but when I heard you were in the hospital and about the accident… I had to visit. And when the nurse recognized me, she asked if I would help you, and I will if you want my help that is…"

"How would you do that?" I asked. Given everything they had just told me, I couldn't imagine an scenario that would help me or Emma now that was anything shy of killing my husband or the two of us disappearing from the face of the planet entirely.

I began to feel nervous. Was she about to offer to help kill my husband?

"Anna, what if I told you that you and your daughter could escape somewhere your husband or social services would never find you?" asked the nurse. I didn't answer her, staring at her suspiciously, and Jane sat on the bed.

"You remember the attack on New York, a few days ago? And that team they call 'The Avengers' that stopped it?" I nodded before she had even finished the question. Asking that was almost like asking if I'd ever heard of what Booth did to Lincoln. How could anyone not know about it?

"One of them, Thor, happens to be someone I know… very well." The awkward way she ended that sentence combined with the smirk the nurse gave her told me more than enough about exactly how well she "knew" him. "Thor's not of this world. He's from some place else entirely…"

"Yes, I know," I cut in, feeling annoyed to have this explained to me like I was a child.

"He was supposed to leave earlier today to return to Asgard, but I got to him first and got him to agree to wait a few more hours…"

"And so you're planning to take me and Emma to Asgard, is that it?"

"I know it sounds crazy," said Jane. "But think about it, you'd be safe. Your daughter would be safe."

"And all we'd have to do is leave Earth behind?" I asked. The thought terrified me, but the desire to keep Emma safe was so strong I was willing to consider almost anything.

"It wouldn't have to be permanent," said the nurse. "You could stay away long enough for your husband to think you and Emma are long gone, and then return under a new identity and start over, away from harm and free to raise your daughter in a happier environment."

I looked down at my daughter, still sound asleep and probably unaware I was even there with her. "Don't you want this nightmare to be over?" asked the nurse.

I took in a deep breath, still trying to picture it in my head. "Is the trip safe? For Emma, I mean," I asked.

"You'll both get there safely, I promise," said Jane. "But if we're going to do this, we have to do it quickly. So I'll need an answer."

I watched Emma for what seemed like hours, thinking over the consequences and what saying yes would mean for us. Leaving behind the only world I'd known was still a scary thought, but staying and risking losing Emma to him…

"Okay. I'll do it."

The nurse nodded silently and stood up, making her way out of the room and returning minutes later with a wheel chair. Carefully, she helped me into it, and Emma was placed in my arms. "I'm going to give her a mild sedative," she said, pulling out a syringe. "Just to keep her from crying while we smuggle the two of you out." I nodded and watched as she injected Emma who didn't even flinch, and she checked her briefly with a stethoscope to make sure there was no adverse reaction. Emma slept on peacefully, and the nurse nodded. "Let's go."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

My heart was quite possibly pounding as hard now as it was when I'd first set foot in my car with Emma. Only this time, instead of a car it was a wheelchair, and instead of the roads at night, it was the halls of a hospital. I knew the likelihood of all the nurses knowing exactly who I was, was very slim, but I was still afraid we'd be spotted and stopped before we were even out the door.

The nurse pushed my chair down the hall, after checking to make sure it was clear, Jane moving ahead of us to keep an eye out. When we reached the elevator, I was pushed inside to the back, and both Jane and the nurse stepped in front of me, standing side by side to help obstruct the view of anyone who might be waiting at the lower floors. The nurse pressed the button for the basement, inserting the override key so the elevator would go there, and all I could do was close my eyes and hope that no one would call for the elevator on our way down.

"Why the basement level?" I asked.

"We're going to have to go through the morgue. There's a door down there for the ambulances to pull up for when they need to drop off… well you know." I shuddered. "There's one that should still be parked down there. I'll load you and Emma inside, and Jane will have to drive you from there."

"What about you?" I asked her.

"I have to stay here to buy you time." I heard the elevator doors open and felt her begin to push my chair out, so I opened my eyes, watching as I was quickly wheeled through the morgue and into the back. We reached a loading bay door which was already open and sure enough, an ambulance sat there, the back doors already open. She wheeled me inside, finding a way to restrain the wheelchair, then moved to shut me inside. "Good luck," she said almost grimly, and doors closed.

For the next hour, I sat in silence, holding Emma close to me while Jane drove us away. I thought about the life I was about to leave behind. Escaping my husband had always been the goal, but I'd never planned on abandoning my entire life. Before there was still the hope of finding a way to contact my parents and stay safe, or even my old friends. But this was different. This was as far away from my old life as I could possibly get, and while I knew I was doing the right thing, it didn't make me any less afraid… or make me feel any less lonely.

I held Emma closer, kissing the top of her head. Bringing her into a home that was full of hurt and danger was something I couldn't forgive myself for. The most I could do now was bring her some place safe where she wouldn't have to listen to the sounds of her mother crying, her father yelling, or any of the evil that had taken place in our old life.

The ambulance came to a stop and the engine shut off. Jane stepped outside, telling me to wait, and I heard her speaking with someone with a deep voice, though they were standing where I couldn't see them. I began to panic. What if he wouldn't help me? What if this had all been for nothing and I had to go back to the hospital with Emma? They talked for what felt like hours before the back doors opened and both Jane and Thor looked in at me.

Thor was everything I'd heard and more. Large and muscular, long blonde hair, clad in armor that was like nothing I'd ever seen in real life. I felt even smaller just looking at him, but I knew if he was on my side my husband was screwed.

"She's hurt," he said, looking at my leg which was in a cast.

"Her husband," said Jane darkly, looking down. "She's lucky she's still alive." He nodded and looked into my eyes.

"Jane's told me what happened to you. I'm sorry." I nodded silently and he looked me over again, down to the sleeping baby in my arms. "I'll take you both with me as well, but you'll have to do exactly what I say when we cross over, do you understand?" Again I nodded, but I couldn't help but wonder… _as well?_

Jane stepped in, helping wheel me forward, and rather than using the ramp, Thor took hold of the entire chair and pulled me out, setting me on the ground. I couldn't help but laugh a little, the first laugh I'd had in God only knew how long. There were other people there, and as I looked around, I began to recognize a few of them. Even without their uniforms, their faces were recognizable enough, and I realized the whole of the Avengers was gathered here.

Before I could even ask why they were there, Tony Stark gestured in my direction, catching their attention if they hadn't noticed me yet. "Whoa wait a minute, what's this?" he asked. "I thought this was supposed to be a low-key thing. Why are we bringing in spectators?"

"She is no spectator," said Thor. "She is coming with me."

One I didn't recognize spoke up. "You never said anything about taking a civilian back with you. We agreed you would have the war criminal and that was all."

The words "war criminal" got my attention.

"Director Fury," spoke up Jane, stepping forward. "It's urgent she returns with him to Asgard." Fury turned to her suspiciously.

"Why?" he asked, turning his eyes on me. Panic began to set in as I began to worry he would really stop me, and I met eyes with him.

"I'm afraid that's my own business," I answered.

"There will be no discussion on this matter," Thor cut in, placing a hand on my shoulder. His grip was strong, and it felt oddly comforting to have someone of his build speaking up for me. In that moment I didn't question the possibility that he was about to take me away fighting.

But it only begged the question why he would go out of his way for me. I glanced over at Jane and back at him. Perhaps the simple fact that she wanted him to help me was all the reason he needed.

"I do not wish to start a conflict now after everything. I will take the Midgardians with me, along with my brother, and I promise you will not hear from us again."

"You had better not promise that," Fury said, though his expression was that of relenting. "We want you to return the next time we need you." Thor smiled and Jane stepped behind me, wheeling me forward while Thor stepped away for a moment.

After Jane had me in place, I looked to see Thor returning, accompanied by another. The man was in chains with a muzzle over his mouth, his eyes downcast, and his face bearing a few scratches and bruises. Having seen the headlines and the breaking news stories like everyone else in the country, I knew immediately who he was.

Loki's eyes flickered on me for a moment, staring at me curiously, then moved off me and on to the glowing blue cube encased in glass that Fury was handing Thor. There was an almost lust in the way he stared at it. Thor took hold of one of the handles on my wheelchair, then looked to Loki. "Grab the other one," he ordered him. Loki looked at him as though there were something snide he wanted say were there not a muzzle in his mouth, but did as he was told all the same, taking hold of the chair. I couldn't help but look at him again, but when I did I felt a chill go down my spine.

His eyes were on Emma.

Thor held on to one end of the Tesseract and held out so Loki could grab on to the other end, and in a blast of light, we were gone.

The voyage was comparable to what I could only imagine it was like to be shot out of a cannon, blinding lights surrounding us, and I felt the urge to hold Emma tighter than ever, afraid I'd drop her and lose her between dimensions. Whatever pain medication I was on, it was not strong enough to stop my injuries from burning in protest, and I began to feel my head spinning, fearing I was about to faint.

All at once, it was over. We came to a sudden halt in front of a set of giant doors, but that was all I managed to see before I felt my head drop forward. "Catch her!" shouted Thor's voice, and both his and Loki's hands were on me, pulling me back into the chair while my head was swimming and my ears were ringing.

"What is the meaning of this?"

There were footsteps approaching, but I sat with my head laid back, unable to look up at them. I reminded myself that I was still holding Emma and put all my focus into staying conscious, barely hearing the conversation that took place. From what I could gather, we were being approached by guards, but the voice had been too authoritative, so I assumed the king was there as well.

"Father," said Thor, confirming my theory. "I've returned with Loki."

"Yes, I can see that," Odin answered, his voice was cross. "But what I don't understand is why you've also brought back a Midgardian woman and her squalling babe." It was then I noticed that the ringing in my ears was gradually being replaced by the high pitched screams of a baby, and looked down at Emma who was wide awake and fussing loudly. Ignoring my still dizzy state, I held her up to my shoulder and patted her back, hushing her.

I'd forgotten about my fractured ribs, and when I foolishly pressed her little body right against them, I almost blacked out from the pain, my voice coming out in an awkward combination of a gasp and a yelp as she kicked her little legs against them. I lowered her back into my lap, almost dropping her, struggling to catch my breath as tears rolled down my cheeks and I grit my teeth.

"Oh my, she's hurt!" exclaimed a female voice. "Perhaps our son can explain himself after we get her to the healers." Frigga, I thought. I was already making a mental note to thank her. There was a pause as Odin looked from me to Loki, then back at me again. "You two," he said, turning to two of the guards. "Take her to the healers at once to be cared for. As for the rest of you, I will see the prisoner in the main hall."

Thor pushed me forwards, towards the guards that were to take me away, and they looked at my wheelchair awkwardly before one of them took Thor's place and wheeled me away.

As my head began to clear, I began to look down the long halls as we went. There were many large columns mostly, and I was impressed with how much sun was able to enter the palace, beautifully illuminating everything around me. Emma's cries, unfortunately, only echoed all the louder, but I didn't dare attempt to hold her up again, already in enough pain to make me hesitant to so much as move my arms let alone bear her weight against my body.

Before I knew it, we were brought into a rather small chamber where a few women were working away on various medicines and potions, seeming rather irritated to be interrupted by a screaming baby and her injured mother.

"What in the world?" one of them asked, stepping forward.

"Odin's ordered for this Midgardian woman to be cared for," one of the guards answered.

"Does he now?" she asked, placing a hand on her hip and looking down at me. "And does he not care how busy we are down here? He has to bring women from other realms to distract us further?" I cringed. _Nice to meet you too…_ I thought.

"You'll have to take it up with him," the guard replied, and with that they both left me. The healer looked me over and sighed, defeated.

"Very well then," she grumbled. "Ladies!" The other women looked up from their work and over in my direction. "This child needs feeding. One of you, take her for a bottle. The rest of you, help me get the mother into a bed." I was still out of it, but they didn't look friendly, and something about that made me very uneasy, even if they were trusted royal healers.

When one of them moved over to snatch up Emma, my arms wrapped around her tightly and I held her to me, cringing in pain as my ribs throbbed in protest. "Don't touch my baby!" I snarled protectively. "Stay back!"

"Don't be silly, child!" the healer objected. "We're not going to harm her."

"NO!" I shouted still, pulling away as they attempted a second time to take her.

"She's delirious from her injuries. Help me restrain her." Two more stepped up, and I opened my mouth to scream when suddenly they retracted as a voice spoke up.

"That is quite enough!" I recognized Frigga's voice and felt a hint of relief. "Can't you see the poor girl is terrified? Show some compassion! She is a guest in need of aid, not a nuisance that's been simply dropped on you!" They bowed their heads in response, the healer in charge muttering an apology. Frigga stepped in front of me and looked down at Emma, who was still crying just as loud as ever, and offered a small sympathetic smile, the way most women do when they see a baby fussing. "I promise we mean you no harm, little one," she said in a higher tone, speaking to Emma."What's her name?" she asked.

"Emma," I answered, my voice sounding hoarse.

"Oh you are so unhappy, aren't you, little Emma?" Frigga asked. Emma simply wailed in response and Frigga chuckled softly.

She looked to me, smiling, and at once I felt a little more at ease, though still nervous. "I promise you can trust us here. We mean you and your child no harm."

"With all due respect, ma'am," I said, trying to muster the most polite tone I could so as not to snap at her the way I had at the healers. "I'm not comfortable with my baby being carried away by people I don't know somewhere I can't see." She nodded and, being a mother herself, I knew she understood.

"You're a good mother then," she said, then turned to the healers. "Wheel Miss… uh…"

"Anna," I said.

"Wheel Miss Anna into the kitchens to feed her baby, and then you can begin tending to them both in their own room."

"Yes, your majesty," the healers said in unison, and they did as she requested while I said a weak, "Thank you," to Frigga as we left.

The hall we took lead us close enough to the throne room that I couldn't help overhearing some of the voices that spoke inside, the first one being unmistakeably Odin's.

"All because Loki desired a throne…"

"It is my birthright!" snapped a second voice bitterly.

"Your BIRTHRIGHT… was to die as a child!" Odin barked back in response. I looked to the throne room, but could only see Loki's back and Odin glaring down at him. "Cast out onto a frozen rock," he continued. "If I had not taken you in, you would not be here now to hate me."

_That was a hell of a thing to say… _I couldn't help thinking, but paid no more heed to it as we entered the kitchens.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The day seemed to move by too quickly, and I considered the possibility that maybe I'd simply arrived later in the day than I'd originally thought. But the night, when it came, slowed to a crawl. After feeding Emma, I had been brought back to a small bedchamber to rest, finding the accommodations to be warmer and far more comforting than the hospital, despite the tense welcome I may have initially received. A small cradle was even waiting for Emma beside my bed, and I could only assume it had been the healers' way of ensuring Frigga remained pleased with how I was being treated. Were it not for the medical tools, this almost looked like a normal bedchamber, or at least one any human not raised in a palace would be more than happy to retire to.

I was awkwardly assisted into the bed, and I allowed Emma to be taken from my arms and placed in her cradle while healers set to work inspecting my injuries. Just as the nurse back at the hospital had told me, they found my leg was broken as well as three ribs, but nothing worse. After seeming content that my bones had been already set properly, they gave me medicine for the pain and left me to sleep.

But I couldn't sleep.

Instead I lay wide awake, wishing I could at least wander the palace to kill the time, but my leg and ribs had me more or less confined to my bed. And even though I tried to keep my mind off it, I couldn't help but feel loneliness creeping in. I'd been lonely for so long in the isolation of my husband's house, but at least it had been in a world where people I knew, friends and family, were a phone call or email away if I ever needed them. And while I'd never contacted them, knowing there was no way they could help me, I at least knew they were there. I didn't have that option here.

I looked down at Emma, who had been sleeping soundly for the past two hours by what I could only guess was a miracle, and I felt the need to pull myself out of my self-pity. I had done what I'd originally set out to do. We were out of that house, and we were safe. It didn't matter how lonely it made me feel, I'd protected my daughter and that was important. And it wasn't as though I wouldn't make new friends here. I reminded myself of Frigga's kindness and even Thor's willingness to help me in the first place.

I forced myself to smile. I would not be alone here.

I heard footsteps approach, and I looked away from Emma to see Thor standing in the doorway. "I don't mean to disturb you…" he said gently, and I shook my head a little too eagerly at the sight of someone to talk to.

"You're not," I said. "I can't sleep anyways." He offered a sympathetic smile and stepped in, taking a seat at my bedside.

"That does not surprise me," he said with a nod. "Though your daughter seems to be managing," he added amused. I gave a stifled laugh, but cut it short, fearing my ribs would start to hurt, even though the pain medication had been working wonderfully so far.

"Go figure," I said. "When she's at home she'll scream through the night, but when I have her around others, she behaves. I swear she was only born to make me look like a liar." Thor grinned.

"I'm sure my mother could tell you some stories herself." I smiled and nodded silently. It had been so long since I'd had an actual conversation, let alone one I actually enjoyed. "So you're a friend of Jane's?" he asked after a moment.

"Uh…" I stammered, still not sure of the real answer to that question. "Yeah… yeah I guess. We went to school together, but we weren't close." I shook my head and furrowed my brow, still trying to think of an explanation for why she suddenly showed up out of nowhere to help. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I realized I couldn't think of a single conversation we'd even had back then.

My stomach twisted with nausea, and I stopped stressing it, realizing my body couldn't handle the added stress of confusion in its current state.

"It was amazing of her to help Emma and I," I said, looking at Thor's inquiring face. "She's really a great person." He nodded, smiling knowingly.

"I'm aware," he said. I couldn't help but feel a bit jealous as I stared at this handsome god who was clearly in love with her. Some women had all the luck. "Have you thought about what you'll do after you've healed?" The question made me uncomfortable and I shook my head.

"Not really," I answered honestly.

"I spoke with Jane before she went to find you, and while I'm sure you're eager to eventually return home as soon as it's safe again, you are welcome to stay as long as you'd like."

I couldn't help but smirk. "I don't think the king shares your sentiments." Thor chuckled and shook his head.

"Odin may be intimidating, especially when he's irritated, but I can assure you that you truly are welcome here. After explaining to him your situation, he became more understanding."

"Well… that's good to know." Emma made a sound in her sleep, and I watched her for a few moments, making sure she wasn't waking. "I haven't really thought about what I plan to do, but keeping Emma safe is my only priority right now."

"Of course," Thor said, looking down at her as well. His next question came out hesitantly. "Your husband… did he harm her?"

My breath caught in my throat and a stab of guilt came over me. Even though I never said anything, I could tell when I looked at him he could read the answer in my face.

"I see…" he said, seeming to regret pressing on that particular nerve. "Well… at least he can't find either of you here."

"No," I said in agreement, fighting back tears. "He can't."

"Excuse me," came a familiar stern voice, and we both looked up to see the head healer approaching me. "The patient-"

"Anna," I cut in. She gave me an annoyed look and a sharp nod.

"Anna…" she repeated. "…needs her rest." Thor stood with a nod and turned to leave.

"I'll see how you're fairing in the morning," he said and with that he was gone.

A cup of tea was placed in front of me and before I could ask, the healer said, "To help you sleep. Drink it up." I sighed, but did as I was told, drinking down the hot liquid and handing back the cup. At once a warmth began to spread inside me, starting at my toes and working upward, beckoning me to lay back and relax into the pillow.

I stared at Emma until my eyes drooped shut.

It must have been late afternoon when I woke, Emma's crying being the first thing I noticed before my eyes were even open, and I groaned, my head still very groggy. When I opened my eyes, one of the healers was already holding Emma and feeding her while another pulled the bed sheets from my body. Part of me was relieved the head healer was nowhere to be seen.

"Good morning, miss!" said the one who had taken my blankets with a warm smile. "Anna, right?" I nodded with a yawn.

"Yes."

"I'm Lydia," she said, turning her attention to my cast. "I think that's just about ready to come off. And then we can give you a bath."

When I realized she wasn't joking I made a face. "I've only been in a cast for a few days!" I cried. "There's no way it's ready to come off."

"You underestimate us," she replied, amused. Before I could protest further, she had already begun to remove the cast on my leg. There was nothing for me to do at that point but to sit back and wait for her to finish… and hope that when she saw for herself that she was wrong that the pain in my leg wouldn't be too horrifying.

Though as I thought about it, I began to realize my ribs weren't hurting at all.

When the cast came off she ran her hands over my bare leg, and I grit my teeth, expecting the pressure she was applying to feel the bone's placement to hurt. To my shock, there was no pain at all.

"Wonderful!" she said, smiling at me. "You're coming along nicely. You'll need a little assistance to get around for today, but by tomorrow you should be moving without much trouble." I was stunned. I was no stranger to broken bones, but being able to be healed this quickly was a huge relief. "And I'm sure you'll feel even better after a nice hot bath. So let's get you out of that bed!"

She moved over to me and I threw my arm over her shoulders as she put her own around my waist and helped me to my feet. There was a dull ache as I put weight down on my leg, but it was tolerable. A beautifully polished wooden cane was handed to me, and I took a moment to admire the stylized carvings that wrapped themselves down the full length of it. "You should only need it for today," Lydia said, seeming to think I was dismayed the be offered it in the first place.

"Okay," I said with a smile, and she lead me across the hall to a white room where a large tub awaited me, already filled with hot water.

Lydia had been right. As soon as I was stripped and settled into the water, I immediately felt my stress melting away. I was washed thoroughly before Lydia left me to enjoy a few moments alone, and I lay back, closing my eyes and enjoying the quiet. There was an open window near me, and through it I could hear the scattered sounds of a few birds chirping away, and what I could assume were soldiers in the midst of their training. The fresh air that came in smelled amazing, and I sat in tranquility until I could tell the water was beginning to cool.

Down the hall, I could hear two voices speaking, though I could barely make out what was being said. One of them was definitely Frigga, but the second voice I was unsure of. I looked towards the doorway, but there was no sign of Lydia or any of the other healers. There was, however, a robe hanging on a hook near me and some towels folded below it. Deciding I had sat around for long enough, I sat up slowly and worked myself to standing. My leg throbbed, but I braced myself on the edge of the tub as I climbed out and limped my way to where the robe hung, drying myself with one of the towels before throwing it on and tying it shut. The cane was gone, probably taken with my clothes, so I steadied myself with my hand against the wall as I limped out to investigate.

The voices were further down the hall than I had originally estimated, and as I searched for their source I became surprised I had even heard them at all. But I eventually came upon a room, and peering in I saw Frigga. Her back was to me so she didn't notice me, but I tried to keep ducked around the corner as the person she was talking to was facing my direction.

"Loki, enough of this," Frigga said in a scolding tone. "You know well enough you brought this on yourself. Did you really think there would be no consequences for what you've done?"

"And what have I done, exactly?" he asked. His voice had a sort of elegance to it, but there was something in the way he spoke that set off every red flag I'd become used to watching for. "Taken the lives of meaningless mortals? Tried to rule over them as their king? How am I any worse than Odin?"

"And who are you to deem their lives meaningless?" she asked calmly. "Only a fool would be so arrogant."

He rolled his eyes and paced away from her. It was then that I realized he was transparent, making me realize it was some sort of holographic projection rather than him being really in the room.

"I've already had it arranged that you will not be forced to share a cell with anyone else, and I'll have a proper bed sent to you later today."

"When Odin won't see?" he asked in a mocking tone. She seemed to ignore it. Behind me, down the hall, I could hear a familiar sound begin to ring out. Emma's crying. My knee-jerk reaction was to return to her, but a larger part of me wanted to see how the conversation would play out, so I waited.

"What about your books?" Frigga asked him. "Are there any you'd like to have in there with you as well?"

"What for?" he asked annoyed. "I've read them all. Am I to entertain myself with stories I already know the endings to?"

"Have it your way then," said Frigga, clearly not giving in to his rotten attitude. "There's only so much I can do for you now, and if you choose you'd rather be miserable and sulking in your cell then so be it."

Loki opened his mouth as if to object to her, but the turned his eyes to me, making me jump a little, and groaned, "Oh for Heaven's sake, will you stop eves dropping and go take care of that shrieking baby before it gets defenestrated?"

"Son!" snapped Frigga before turning to see me standing there. I could feel my face turning red with embarrassment for being caught, but before I had a chance of explaining myself, Lydia was beside me, apologizing frantically to Frigga.

"I'm so sorry, m'lady," she said, bowing her head. "I didn't see her wander off." She handed me my cane and ushered me away quickly.

I kept my eyes on Loki, unable to look away, and just before he was out of my line of vision, he gave me a smile that made me uncomfortable and said in a silky voice, "Goodbye, Anna."


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

I stood in front of a mirror while Lydia brushed out my hair when Thor stepped in, a duffle bag in his hand which caught my attention. "I brought you something you might like," he said with a smile, tossing the bag onto the bed. "Jane used your clothes you left behind in the hospital as a reference and bought you new clothing to wear."

"Seriously?" I asked, my face lighting up with a smile as I broke away from Lydia to look through the bag. I'd already accepted my fate of being stuck wearing dresses and skirts a while ago when it dawned on me that I had none of my clothes out here, but opening the bag and seeing pairs of jeans sitting at the top made me smile with excitement.

"I believe there's clothing for your child in there as well," he added. "She felt you would be more comfortable in a new world if you had your own clothing to wear." Truer words had never been said. I loathed dresses with a passion, and the only thing close to pants I had seen on a woman was armor. Having my own clothes to wear was just what I needed.

I looked through the bag, pulling out a few outfits for Emma, smiling at how adorable she would look, and turned to Thor. "Send her my thanks," I said and he grinned.

"I will," he said, and left me to go about the day.

* * *

In the middle of the night, I was tossing and turning in a cold sweat. I didn't know why sleep was still coming so difficult to me. After everything that had been taking place. I should have been exhausted. But instead I lay awake, tossing and turning, my body seeming to rebel against my desire to simply sleep.

The longer I struggled, the more I couldn't stop wondering what was keeping me awake. I wasn't feeling stressed or overwhelmingly depressed, so those two usual causes were eliminated as possibilities. I wasn't in pain. In fact I was almost certain my leg was already fully healed. And for once, Emma wasn't keeping me up. She had already awoken for her feeding over an hour ago and was now sleeping contentedly with a full belly. And yet I lay wide awake.

And while I felt at peace for the most part, I couldn't fully shake the feeling in the back of my mind that something was wrong.

Knowing I wouldn't sleep at all until I settled whatever internal battle my mind was having, I sat up in the darkness and thought about it. It was difficult for me to put my finger on, but it was a subtle unease but as I tried to clear my head I began to recognize the feeling. It was one I'd battled with particularly hard for the past month. Guilt. Guilt of what though? Was is the guilt of staying for so long through every thrashing and angry threat even after I learned Emma was coming? Or was it the guilt of knowing I'd nearly killed us both trying to escape?

As my mind dwelled on the car crash, my stomach twisted and I felt as though I would vomit. I closed my eyes tight and forced myself to think of something else, desperate to settle my stomach. I focused on my breathing, drawing my legs to my chest and hugging them tight with my arms while I buried my face in my knees. I inhaled until my legs were crushing my chest, then exhaled slowly, running my nails over my scalp lightly. My mind raced, trying to find something else to focus on, but all I managed was the thought of how hot and stuffy my sweatshirt suddenly felt.

My sweatshirt Jane had bought me. My dark green sweatshirt with a hood. The same shade of green I'd seen on Loki's leather armor.

It was several minutes before the feeling subsided, but I remained in that position for some time until...

"Hello, Anna."

I snapped my head up. In the darkened room, the little bit of moonlight that shone through just barely illuminated his features at first, and as if on queue, he stepped forward into the light, grinning down at me mischievously.

My heart began to pound.

"I'm dreaming?" I asked.

"Are you?" Loki asked. "Or are you wishfully thinking out loud?" I didn't answer him. My mind went back to the conversation I'd witnessed between him and Frigga and realized whatever spell had been used then to make that possible, he was using now to see me. I knew I should feel relieved since that would mean he was no more than an illusion, but the way the light bounced off him as opposed to going through him made me suspicious. He took a step closer to the bed and I crawled backwards, putting space between us. He stopped and smiled at me amused. "Do I scare you?"

"No," I lied, and his expression told me he didn't buy it.

"You're a terrible liar." He took a step closer and I scooted back until my shoulders hit the headboard. "And what if I told you I'm not going to hurt you?" he asked, his smile only appearing more menacing.

"Right," I said, wishing I had my cane within arm's reach to at least use as a weapon. He didn't advance again, but rather smiled at me, making it clear I was his object of amusement for the moment.

"Someone really worked hard to break you," he mused. "Enough beatings and soon you learn to cower before your master like a dog."

"Shut up!" I hissed.

"And now you cower before me. I wonder what that says..."

"You're full of shit!"

His arm snapped upwards and he leaned over the bed as if he were about to strike me, and I pulled my head to the side, squeezing my eyes shut and waiting for it. When the blow never came, I slowly opened my eyes and saw he had lowered his arm and was instead grinning, happy that he had made his point. I sighed and lowered my eyes to the mattress. I really had been trained to take a beating.

"A cowering dog," he repeated, his words stinging. He pulled back, and began to stride around the bed, looking around my room curiously as he did so. "Tell me, Anna. What were you doing just before I arrived?" He turned to face me again.

"I was trying to sleep," I answered. He sat himself down on the bed beside me, and I felt the mattress bend with his added weight.

"What else?" he asked.

"How are you doing that?" I asked, still hoping it was only a spell.

"Answer the question. What were you doing?"

I took a deep breath, trying to keep myself calm. "I felt sick... so I tried to get my mind off it."

"And what made you sick?"

"I don't know," I answered, getting annoyed with his interrogating.

"Don't lie," he said, leaning closer. I tried to recoil, but my head hit the wall, reminding me I was already as far back as I could go and pressed against the headboard. "What made you feel sick?" he pressed.

"I swear I don't know," I repeated.

"Think harder then."

Realizing the answer would probably be the only way to satisfy him, I tried to calm myself enough to focus. "I couldn't sleep... and I felt something was wrong... and when I tried to figure it out I suddenly felt sick."

He nodded and stood up, pacing away from me, and I took a deep breath, feeling a little more at ease but never once taking my eyes off him. "What were you feeling?" he asked, turning towards Emma's cradle. My heart rate spiked, and I answered his question quickly, trying to keep from angering him while he neared my daughter.

"Guilty," I answered.

"Why?" he asked, coming to a stop just in front of her, leaning down to inspect her.

My voice was weak as words barely escaped my throat. "I... I don't know." He turned his head towards me and I began to panic. "I really don't know! I felt sick before I could figure it out." He sighed and looked back down at Emma, reaching into the cradle and pulling her up into his arms. I was shaking, afraid to move for fear of what he might do. "Please..." I whimpered. "Please don't hurt her."

"Is that what you said?" he asked, not taking his eyes off her. Emma slept soundly, completely unaware anything was happening, and Loki's eyes met mine again. "When your husband laid his hands on her was this all you did? Sit back in the corner cowering? Begging for him to be merciful?"

"Please..." Tears were flooding my eyes, and I felt my stomach twisting with the same nausea from before.

"He wasn't was he?" he asked, looking back down at Emma. "After years of begging for your own mercy, why would you think he'd offer it to her?"

I began to sob, feeling utterly helpless, and after a few agonizing minutes, he lowered Emma back into her cradle, managing not to wake her. He turned to face me again and strode to the bed, standing in front of me. "Is that the source of your guilt?" he asked.

I wanted to say yes. God knew it made sense. But the answer that came out of my mouth surprised me. "No," I whispered.

"And why not?" he asked. The question filled me with rage, feeling that he was implying that I was fine with what happened.

"I escaped because of what my husband did," I hissed at him through tears. "It was one thing when he beat me... but when he hit her..." I choked, still hearing the crack of his hand against my daughter's face so vividly, and I bit into my lip, drawing blood. Loki waited patiently for me to compose myself, and I inhaled deep and ragged. "I knew I was never going to let him do that again. So I took her... and I ran."

"And did you escape?" he asked. I raised an eyebrow and looked up at him in disbelief of how idiotic a question that was to ask.

"Obviously," I said, unable to hide my annoyance. He simply stared at me, his expression hard to make out, but before he could say anything Emma began to grunt and gurgle from her cradle, signalling that she was beginning to wake.

I turned my head instinctively towards her, even though I couldn't see over the edge of the cradle from where I sat, and when I looked back to Loki, he was gone.

When morning arrived, I set out in search of Frigga, needing answers. My leg was fully healed, so my cane was no longer needed, and after my scare the night before I had Emma with me, not wanting to leave her alone in case Loki returned.

When I found my way to the courtyard, I found Frigga standing beside Thor, both of them watching as the soldiers of Asgard busied themselves with their training. As I approached them, Thor was the first to notice me, turning to greet me with a smile which soon faded when he saw the look on my face.

"Anna?" he asked, and Frigga turned to face me as well.

"The prison here... how secure is it?" I asked. Thor's brow furrowed, surprised at the question.

"It's impossible for anything to escape, I can assure you," he answered.

"Why do you ask?" asked Frigga with concern.

"Because Loki was in my room last night," I answered, holding Emma closer.

Thor shook his head. "That's not pos-"

"I know what I saw," I insisted. "He was in my room last night. He even pulled Emma out of her cradle!"

"Calm down," said Frigga in a firm voice.

"Don't tell me to be calm!" I snapped. "I don't know how he did it, but he was in my room last night and he had my daughter in his arms!"

"Anna, I can promise you he wasn't," said Thor insistently. "Loki is under constant watch inside that prison. If he'd left his cell for even a second, we would have known about it."

"He's right," said Frigga. "Even with all his tricks, there's nothing Loki can do to free himself."

I stared at them both, wanting to argue, but I could tell from their faces they weren't lying. "I swear I saw him..." I muttered, and Frigga placed a hand on my shoulder.

"If I may..." she said gently. "I'd like a word." Despite my agitated behavior, there was nothing but genuine concern in her eyes, so I nodded and let her lead me away. Emma was fascinated with the sunlight that leaked between the columns as we walked, her occasional coo's echoing down the halls. When we reached the library, I followed Frigga inside and she closed the door behind us as I looked around the giant room to see we were alone. The sight of so many books brought me comfort, but also made me regret the fact that I didn't read nearly as much as I used to. I'd always promised myself I would get back in the habit, but never got around to it. And with Emma around there was less time.

Frigga seated herself on a bench and signaled me to join her, and I obeyed, bouncing Emma in my lap as I sat down. "I've been meaning to speak with you since you arrived, but wanted you to have time to heal first," she began, watching as Emma began to stuff her tiny fist in her mouth and gum at it. "You do feel safe here, don't you?" she asked,

I sighed, shaking my head. "I did until last night," I answered honestly. She frowned and shook her head.

"You are safe here though," she tried to ensure me. "No one can harm you here."

"I want to believe that," I replied.

"Well then why don't you tell me about last night. What happened, exactly?"

"He just appeared," I answered. "He started asking me questions about myself, and when I wouldn't answer he grabbed Emma and started questioning me about my husband."

"I see..." she said, though I couldn't tell whether or not she believed me. "Thor told me of why you escaped Midgard. It must have been difficult for you back there, living like that. Making the decision to escape and rescue your daughter took a great deal of courage." I nodded but couldn't help but feel I was being patronized. "With everything that's happened to you in the last few days, it's only natural you would suffer nightmares-"

"I didn't dream it," I cut in.

"Would you not consider it for a moment?" she asked me. "You can't overcome years of abuse in a few days. The stress you've endured would easily lead to nightmares. Does it not then seem possible for your dreams to manifest themselves in the form of someone you've seen here who bears qualities that remind you of your husband?" I silently considered the possibility for a moment. I had to admit, it made a lot of sense... and as Thor had pointed out, Loki couldn't have left his cell without someone noticing.

"I guess," I finally admitted. "I've just never had a nightmare feel that real before." She nodded in understanding and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I promise you, Loki is locked away and unable to come near you or your daughter even if he wanted to." I nodded silently as Emma let out a small squeal, causing both Frigga and I to smile. "Now that you're healed, feel free to roam the palace more. You should make friends here so you'll feel more at home. Then perhaps these nightmares will cease." She smiled at me as she stood up and I offered a half smile back.

"All right," I answered.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Three days passed and I was moved from the healers' quarters to my own personal chambers, Emma's cradle being placed in there as well at my request. There were no more visits from Loki, though occasionally I thought I caught a glimpse of something in the shadows, only finding later it was a trick of the light. Perhaps it really had been a nightmare. The fact that I hadn't had any dreams since the encounter, however, made me still suspicious.

At first, I did not wander about alone but only when Lydia or even Thor paid me a visit and invited me to join them either for a walk outside or to grab a bite to eat. After walking around the palace with them a few times I began to become a little more adventurous as I began to memorize my way around and felt a little more confident I wouldn't become lost. I learned quickly the architecture was absolutely perfect for soothing Emma whenever she became fussy. The sunlight leaking through the pillars captured her interest the same way the ceiling lights had back home. And I was learning quickly, distractions were sometimes a mother's best friend.

As I began to better understand the ways of Asgard, Frigga began to tell me about their current situation with the bifrost still being rebuilt and how its destruction had lead to chaos in some of the nine realms. Occasionally, when things were truly out of hand, Thor was forced to depart along with his companions to put a stop to whatever conflict had arisen. The process, however involved use of the Tesseract, and I could tell they all seemed to view it as a last resort, though I didn't fully understand what it did.

Thor was gone on one of those missions when I woke, or so Lydia told me as she paid her daily visit to check in. We both knew I was as healed as I was ever going to be, but I knew she was simply trying to make herself a friend so I didn't mind. "It didn't sound like it was anything too serious," she told me while she bounced Emma in her lap as I brushed my hair in front of my vanity. "He'll probably be back by evening and then the celebrating can begin..." She finished that sentence with a knowing smirk and I looked to her.

"Celebrating?"

"Oh yes," she said, looking up at me. "Feasting, drinking, music... there's been times its gone on for days."

"Sounds like college," I chuckled, turning back to the mirror.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing," I answered with a smirk, not really feeling like explaining. Lord knew that was a chapter in my life Emma would not hear about... not at least until she was much much older.

"You should join the celebration," she said, returning her attention to Emma, and I tied my hair back into a ponytail.

"Maybe," I said, turning to the bedside table and picking up a book. "Do you mind watching her for a minute? I just wanted to go to the library real quick."

"Of course! Go ahead." I nodded with a smile and made my way there, wanting to find something new to read. I'd managed to find several books with old tales, both historical and fictitious, and had found they were an great way to better understand my surroundings. As I searched through the many titles, I heard footsteps from behind me, and saw Frigga looking in.

"Hello, Anna. I didn't know you enjoyed reading."

I smiled at her and turned my eyes back to the books. "I don't do it enough anymore," I said. "I usually have my hands full with Emma." She made a small sound of understanding and made her way to the opposite end, scanning through the shelves, clearly already having a book in mind that she wanted. I watched as she read the titles quietly to herself as she searched and then sighed. "That's a shame. I don't see it..."

"Hmmm?" I inquired.

"Oh nothing. Was just looking for- aha!" She reached up and pulled out a book, smiling at the small victory. "That should satisfy him," she said to herself.

"Satisfy who?" I asked. The look on her face told me she hadn't intended to say that out loud, and she smiled and shook her head.

"Someone was looking for this," she said.

"It's Loki, isn't it," I said as more of a statement than a question. She frowned and I shrugged, looking back to the shelf. "Must be nice... having someone still doting on him while he's in prison."

"I can assure you that there's nothing nice about where he is," she said in a tone that told me I'd just crossed a line. I glanced over my shoulder at her and watched as she strode for the exit. "Miss Anna, what my son did to your world was unforgivable... but that doesn't mean I still don't hold out hope for him."

There was a pain in her tone that made me feel bad for speaking out so carelessly, but I still couldn't stop the question that left my mouth. "Why?"

She stopped in the doorway, then glanced over her shoulder at me, her eyes meeting mine. "Because he needs that right now. And because he's my son. As a mother, you of all people should be more understanding." With that she left and I sighed, feeling like an ass.

Glancing back at the shelf I settled on a book documenting some of the history of Jotunheim, and made my way back to Emma and Lydia.

It was early in the evening when word eventually made its way to me that Thor and the warriors had returned victorious, and not long after the smells of the feast being prepared could be smelled from my chambers. Originally, I had simply intended to stay in for the night and read, but when Thor paid me a visit, insisting I participate, I conceded. Hoping the clothing Jane had provided me would do, I picked out the nicest pair of jeans I had and a black blouse, discovering there was also makeup in the bag, a find that really made me happy.

After I felt I was presentable enough, I made my way out, carrying Emma on my hip, and I found my way easily to the banquet hall, using the commotion I could hear as a guide. I was immediately met with a large crowd of strangers, but Thor was fortunately not too far away, and I walked over to him, receiving a welcoming smile as he introduced me properly for the first time to his friends.

"Anna, I would like you to meet my good friends and companions, Lady Sif, Fandral, Hogan, and Volstagg." I smiled and nodded to them and Volstagg was the first to speak, reaching over to pat my shoulder with a smile.

"Glad to see you're finally out and about!" he said, looking over to Emma, amused at how large her eyes grew at the sight of him, no doubt a little intimidated. "And who is this youngster?"

"My daughter Emma," I said, smiling at Emma to try to reassure her as I bounced her on my hip. "Say hi, Emma," I said in a high tone. Her head bobbed a little as she stared at Volstagg, and I realized slowly it was his beard that had her interest.

"Oooh!" she cooed and I laughed as Sif stepped forward to get a better look at her.

"How old?" she asked with a smile.

"Almost two months," I answered.

"Old enough to feast with us then!" joked Volstagg, and Emma broke out into a big toothless smile. I kissed her cheek and followed them to the table to eat, allowing myself to binge for the first time in I couldn't remember how long, listening all the while as they recounted the events of the day, making jokes at each other's expense, and consuming wine by the barrel full. At one point I was so wrapped up, listening to their conversation that I didn't notice Emma's little arm get too close to my own goblet of wine, and when she knocked it off the table with a loud clatter to the floor, Thor reached over, taking hold of her hand and held her arm up, shouting, "ANOTHER!" with a while smile, causing me to laugh.

I ate, drank, and listened to their stories until it grew late, and feeling Emma was starting to grow fussy, I excused myself to my chambers to lay her down. After rocking her for an hour, her sleepy head resting on my shoulder as she breathed heavily, I felt no desire to retire for the evening yet, so instead I placed her in her cradle, and found a servant to keep watch.

Deciding I could do with some time alone, I made my way to the courtyard to watch the night sky. Behind me, I could still hear the sounds of celebrating continue, and part of me wondered if it would really go for days as Lydia said it had the potential to. The thought made my liver hurt, and I strode out into the grass, sitting down and laying back to watch the stars.

A twig snapped.

I jumped upright and looked around. There was no one there, but I kept my eyes on the shadows, not trusting them. In the corner I saw something shift, and I got to my feet.

"Who's there?"

There was no answer, and I stood still, knowing better than to investigate. Another sound got my attention from behind, and I spun around, again finding nothing. Slowly, I began to walk backwards toward the palace, not wanting to turn my back on the courtyard until I was safely inside or at least close enough for someone to hear me scream.

I felt someone breathe against the back of my neck, and I snapped around, only to once again be met with nothing.

I could hear my heart beating in my ears, and I broke into a run, heading strait for the palace. With each step, I could feel whatever it was pursuing me, and I headed for my chambers, my heavy footfalls echoing throughout the halls. I threw the doors open and froze.

Loki stood before me, his back to me, striding towards Emma's cradle.

"Leave her alone!" I shouted, storming my way towards him, only to step right through him and nearly crash into the cradle. I stood for a moment, confused, then turned when I heard the door shut.

"Hello, Anna," Loki said with a grin.

"I knew I wasn't dreaming!" I growled, glad I was at least standing between him and Emma this time.

"I wonder if you do dream," he said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"Do you, Anna?" he asked, beginning to pace around my room. "Do the nightmares torment you every night? The memories? Are they so realistic that you could really be persuaded to think that my presence is one of them?" He came to a stop at the vanity and looked down at my makeup, seeming curious about it, and picked up a tube of lipstick. "Or is there nothing?" he mused. I didn't answer him, not in the mood to indulge him, and he glanced over his shoulder towards me.

"This is a lovely shade," he said, nodding to the lipstick. I opened my mouth, but before I could say a word I felt my body being jerked forward by an unseen force, coming to a stop in front of the mirror, and Loki stepped behind me, removing the cap before reaching around to apply it to my lips. I had to admit, I was impressed at how accurately he was able to do that using only the mirror to see what he was doing rather than just simply stepping in front of me. "It's your favorite isn't it," he asked. I didn't answer but continued to simply watch as he colored my lips. "Not too subtle to be missed, but not too dark to look sultry. But most of all, you love the way it makes your eye color, as you would put it, pop."

"How do you know that?" I asked. He smacked his lips, signalling me to do the same, and I obeyed, smacking my own so the color was spread evenly. His reflection was looking over me thoughtfully, and I felt his hands rest themselves on my shoulders.

"It was raining the night you met him, wasn't it," he whispered. A crack of thunder rang out from outside the window, and all at once a downpour hit. I looked to the window, seeing the storm that had come from nowhere, and looked back to Loki's reflection.

"What's happening?"

"Sshh..." he hushed, leaning his mouth near my ear. "Just focus for a moment and tell me about that night..." I didn't know why, but I somehow knew he was not about to harm me, though his sudden wellspring of information still made me uneasy. "Where were you?" There was a familiarity in his voice and for reasons that were beyond me, I indulged him.

"I was with a group of my friends, and we were at the movie theater." The world around me began to shift and change, and soon what was a stone floor turned into a cement sidewalk, walls vanished, the furniture dissolved, and I heard the familiar sounds of traffic and cars parking. I craned my head to the side and saw the theater I hadn't seen in years standing clear as day just a few feet away, and around me I heard the voices of the friends I hadn't spoken to for so long.

"And was he with them?" Loki asked, making me realize he was no longer behind me, though his voice seemed to still come from there.

"No," I answered. "He showed up with one of my friends who was running late."

A car pulled up to the curb and the back doors opened, Loki and a young man stepping out and the driver pulling away to find a parking spot. "He was wearing that sweater you liked so much, wasn't he?" Loki asked as he kept pace with my friend, dressed in the same clothes my husband had worn that night. "Or at least you told him you liked it three dates later."

"I don't remember what movie we were seeing," I continued.

"It was a horror film," he said as I followed him and my friends inside.

"He sat next to me and we were the only ones who didn't fall for any of the jump scares." We were sitting side by side in the theater, Loki with a bucket of popcorn in his lap that he was munching on. He tilted it towards me, offering me some, but I shook my head.

"What happened when the movie ended?" he asked.

"I walked to my car."

Again, the setting changed and I was no longer sitting in a theater but standing in a parking lot, a set of keys in my hand and my old car in front of me. From behind, I again heard Loki's voice in my ear.

"And he stopped you to ask for your number."

I turned around and Loki stood there with an older looking cell phone in his hand, punching away at the number pad. "Where did he take you a week later?"

I was becoming aware of a queasy sensation spreading through my body, but ignored it to think of the answer to his question. "He took me dancing," I answered.

In a twist of colors we were suddenly standing in an elegant ballroom, and I was wearing a beautiful black ballgown. Loki stepped in front of me, wearing the suit he'd worn in the first images I'd seen of him when he'd made his appearance in Stuttgart, and his arm came around my waist, taking my hand with his free one as he began to spin me around the ballroom floor, the other couples a dancing blur of colors around us.

"Was it in a place such as this? You and he dressed in elegance while others watched you both in envy as he showed you off proudly?" He danced me around, my body somehow knowing all the steps but my mind not knowing how that was even possible.

"No," I answered. "It was in a night club."

In a flash comparable to lightning, the ballroom turned into a nightclub, bright colored lights flashing around us and he released me, stepping back dressed now in a long sleeved black shirt with a v-neck, and a pair of jeans with a hole in one of the knees. The familiar tune of "Ka-Boom Ka-Boom," by Marilyn Manson hit my ears as more memories came back.

"It was a gothic nightclub we visited for laughs," I said, turning to one of the mirrors on the back walls and began to dance just as I had that night. "The music was so loud I could hardly hear myself think." Loki's hands came to rest on my hips from behind as he danced with me.

"But that was fine as you had no intentions of conversation that night," he said into my ear as I reached my arms up and around his neck. He lowered his head til his lips hovered over my collar bone as my hips ground against him and his hands began to trace over my ribs. I felt my cheeks grow hot as I watched us in the mirror, and while there was still a small part of me questioning the continuously changing surroundings, I somehow seemed to just go along with it. After all, I had already lived all these moments... Loki filling himself in my husband's place all too perfectly.

"There came a moment when you knew you weren't going home that night," he growled in my ear, and I felt one of his hands come up and grasp my breast. I did nothing to stop him and in the reflection I saw his eyes lock on mine. "In public even? Naughty..."

"I was young and stupid," I answered, hearing the song draw to a close.

I twisted around to face him, and we were suddenly standing in an apartment I hadn't seen in years. The bed was perfectly made, the knick-knacks on his dresser set up just right, and not even a trace of dust could be found anywhere. "You felt uncomfortable when you saw his bedroom," Loki said as he stood behind me, his hands grasping the bottom of my shirt as he placed hot kisses along my neck.

"It was too organized," I gasped, feeling myself giving in to the moment all over again. "Almost unnatural." I raised my arms just as I had when it first happened, and he pulled my shirt up and over my head.

"But you didn't let that dissuade you," he whispered, tossing my shirt aside as he bit into my neck. Soon his fingers found my bra hook and he unclasped it with ease, tugging it off as my breasts bounced free.

I spun around, my lips locking with his and his tongue plunged into my mouth, exploring it lustfully as my hands began to undo his pants. He pulled away from my mouth to pull his own shirt off, then captured me again in a tidal wave of aggressive kisses. One of his hands grabbed up a fistful of my hair as he lifted me up with his free arm, my legs wrapping around his waist, and he walked us to the bed, throwing me backwards onto the mattress before kicking his pants and boxers off. My pants and underwear were torn off in a flash and he positioned himself over top of me, his throbbing member pressing against my folds.

"Was it good?" he whispered, taking one of my nipples into his mouth.

"Oh god, yes!" I moaned in response to both the question and his actions. His tongue flicked over the hardened bud, and I felt him slowly begin to penetrate me as I dug my nails into the comforter.

"I certainly hope it was," he hissed, his eyes meeting mine with a dark glare. "For all the years of agony that followed, I hope the way he fucked you was at least worth it."

I lay stunned, completely broken out of whatever spell he'd had me under, but only for a moment. When he began to thrust inside of me, I was overcome with the moment once again, and I locked my legs around him, raking my nails over his back as he began to thrust at a vicious pace, each move nearly knocking the wind out of me.

My eyes rested on the ceiling as I ground my hips into his, taking in the scent of sex that was filling the room and the feel of his black hair against my cheek as his teeth bit into my neck. But just as I remembered, the moment was over too soon. Within a few minutes, I heard him groan as he reached his orgasm, pumping himself wildly into me before coming to a stop, pressing his lips against my neck and then pausing there as he worked to catch his breath. I closed my eyes, feeling his heart hammering within his chest as he was still pressed against me, and I placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Tell me about the first time he hit you..." he whispered in my ear breathlessly.

When I opened my eyes, he was gone. I was back in Asgard, laying in my bedchamber, fully clothed, and Emma was sleeping peacefully in her cradle. I sat up, my heart still beating rapidly, wiping the sweat from my brow, and looked around. Loki was gone.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

I needed answers, and I needed them now.

I wanted to believe it had all just been a dream. That at least would have made sense. But as I looked in the mirror at the dark purple marks along my neck, even I knew a dream was not capable of that. Running my fingers along them, however, I couldn't help but feel a ghost of arousal wash over me.

Dressing to cover the marks, as I did not want or even know how I would explain them, I began to try to formulate a plan to get into the prison to confront Loki. Of course he would probably visit me at night again, but there had been days between the last two visits, and I was in no mood to wait. I carried Emma down to the healers, finding Lydia to watch her, and I made my way to the library in search of Frigga. If I had a chance of anyone assisting me, she was my best hope.

When I reached the library, I looked in only to discover she was not there. Cursing under my breath, I headed for the courtyard, hoping she was perhaps watching over Thor as he trained with the other soldiers of Asgard. But when I got there, she was nowhere to be found. Thor, however, was. I waved him over, and once he noticed he jogged up to me with a warm smile. "Good morning!" he greeted. "Is there something you need?"

"Yeah. Your mother. Where is she?" I asked.

"I have not seen her," he answered. "Perhaps I can assist you?"

"No, I need her," I said, trying my best not to sound impatient. My neck was becoming irritated under the scarf I wore around it, and I massaged the tender area, taking care not to move the scarf enough to reveal what I was hiding. "If you see her, can you let her know I'm looking for her?"

"Of course," he said with a nod, his eyes going to my neck. I stopped massaging it immediately and nodded in thanks before running off. After nearly an hour of searching, I gave up and returned to fetch my daughter, knowing she would be getting hungry soon.

I wasn't sure when exactly I had nodded off, but the gentle knocking at my door snapped me out of sleep, Emma laying on my chest with her thumb in her mouth as she slept soundly, and I called out gently, trying not to startle her, "Come in."

The door opened slowly, and Frigga poked her head in, smiling at the sight of Emma and I. "Forgive me if I woke you," she said apologetically.

"You didn't," I lied, carefully sitting up and crossing my legs so I could lay Emma in my lap.

"I'm sorry I was not there when you went in search of me. I had some things I had to attend to," she said as she walked over to me, sitting down on the bed.

"That's okay," I said, stroking Emma's head lovingly. "I needed to ask a favor and… I think you're probably the only one who can help me."

"What do you need from me?" she asked.

I paused, trying to ready myself for the response I was sure to have and said firmly, "I need to get into the prison to speak with Loki… face to face."

She raised her eyebrows and shook her head. "That's not possible."

"It has to be," I persisted. "You're the queen, surely you can-"

"The king has forbidden visitors of any sort to Loki's cell," she cut in. "Even I'm not allowed to see him."

I took a deep breath, knowing I needed to tread carefully. "But that doesn't stop you…" I said softly. Her expression became solemn, and I spoke quickly. "You bring books to him, I know you do. You must know a way to get in and out without Odin or the guards stopping you."

"Even if I did know of a way, why would you want this?" she asked. "Have the nightmares returned?"

Swiftly, I reached up to the scarf and tugged it off, revealing the bite marks along my neckline. "They aren't dreams," I said as she looked them over with wide eyes.

"What happened to you?" she gasped, and I threw the scarf back on, wrapping it almost too tightly.

"I just need a few minutes with him and that's all. I need answers."

"I'm afraid that's not possible," she said almost dismissively. "And frankly your nightmares are hardly a reason to confront my son." I stared at her in disbelief. How could she not believe me when the bruises were there clear as day?

"…you think I did this in my sleep?" I asked, pointing to my neck. Realizing this was not going to play out the way I needed it to, I tried a different angle. "Maybe I did do this in my sleep. Maybe it's all been a nightmare and it was too realistic for me to tell the difference. Maybe I'm just crazy… but what if I'm not?" She lowered her eyes and sighed with a frown. "Please…" I begged. "I just want to know what's happening to me."

The mattress tilted as she stood up and made her way to the door. "You need to let this go," she said.

"I-"

But before I could finish my objection, she turned with a look that made me shrink back. She may have been kind in taking me under her wing, but that didn't stop her from looking positively intimidating in that moment. "There are no answers for you there," she said in a firm voice. "For your own sake… please. Let this go." With that she left and I closed my eyes, sighing in frustration.

I was not ready to admit defeat. Later in the afternoon I summoned Lydia again to watch Emma, claiming I needed some fresh air, and I made my way outside, keeping an eye on the prison as I formed a new plan. I hated thinking about how much easier this would be if Frigga had simply helped me, but since that was no longer an option I was left up to my own devices.

As I approached the prison, I quickly took in the important details I needed, such as how many guards were placed to stand watch over the outside alone and which entrance the servants used. While I did my best to remain hidden, I couldn't shake the suspicion that I was being watched. I could only hope the fact no one had stopped me yet was a sign that I was simply paranoid.

Sever minutes went by before I spotted a servant girl make her way in through the side entrance, followed a few minutes later by another… and then later another. It must have been time to feed the prisoners or tend to their cells in some way, I realized. A plan entered my head, and while I figured out the details, I couldn't silence the little voice of reason inside me that was practically screaming I was being an idiot. I made my way to the palace door they were coming from and as soon as I was sure it was clear, I slipped in. The room I had stepped into appeared to be some sort of laundry room, clothing that clearly belonged to the servants littered about, and I picked up a dress that matched the ones the maids had been wearing as well as a change of shoes, then ducked out of sight, throwing the dress over my own clothes and changing out my shoes, placing my own so they were hidden from sight.

No one from the prisons knew what I looked like, so I didn't waste time looking for some sort of hood or bonnet to hide under before I made my way down, doing my best to act nonchalant as I approached the guards. I was barely looked over before they nodded their approval and allowed me to pass. Inside, I found the other maids in a smaller room that was off to the side, each of them picking up different supplies, and I made an attempt to follow suit before one of them barged in, tossing a comb and scissors to the floor in a flustered rage.

"I don't need this!" she cried. "That bastard can bathe himself! I don't care who's son he is!" I raised an eyebrow, watching as she stormed off, and one of the other maids sighed.

"Well that's just great…" she grumbled, then her eyes fell on me. "You there." I froze. "You're new aren't you?" I nodded silently. "Good. Then you can take him. He's in the corner cell to the left just down the row. You'll see him."

"What do I do?" I asked, picking up the comb and scissors, stuffing them in my dress pocket.

"You really are new, aren't you," she chuckled. "When you enter the cell, there will be a switch, the guard can show you where, and it'll open the bathing chamber behind his cell. You have to wash him, and collect any dirty clothing to be washed. Everything you'll need should be in there." I nodded and headed out, trying to ignore the looks on the other maids faces, almost as though I were a sheep headed to the slaughter.

The hall lead out into the prison, and I was amazed at how beautiful something as grim as a prison cell could look. The white stone, the, what looked like, glass walls with a golden design that seemed to appear and fade as it lightly traced itself from one edge to the other… it looked more like a fancy museum with criminals on display when compared to the prisons back home.

I came to the first spot where the aisle broke out into a left turn, and sitting in the corner cell with his nose in a book, was Loki. Keeping in mind he had just driven a maid away in tears, I approached with caution, glad that he seemed too absorbed in his book to notice me.

A guard was waiting outside his cell, and as I approached, he stepped up to the barrier, casting a spell on it to make an opening just large enough for me to step through. Once I was on the other side, I heard it close, sealing me inside. I paused, waiting to see if Loki would look up and notice, but he was still too involved with his book to see me. Looking to the back wall, I noticed a raised square panel, and I walked up to it, pressing my palm against it. The wall opened and I poked my head through, spotting the tub sitting in the middle of small chamber, and a light came on as I entered.

I kept my eyes on the entrance as I began to fill the tub with water. When I saw his shadow begin to stretch through the opening, I pulled back into a corner, turning my back to him while I busied myself selecting towels and washcloths, expecting to be caught at any second. Instead I heard the sounds of him removing his clothing and dropping it haphazardly in a pile off to the side before walking over to the tub and climbing in, his back to me as he reclined back and rested his head against the edge.

I watched him for several minutes, unable to look away as the trickster god seemed to slip into a state of pure tranquility in the water. I was convinced in the moment he truly had no idea I was there… let alone what I was planning.

Glancing to the side I spotted a pitcher and several bottles of soaps and oils, and I selected what I needed before moving behind him, daring to get a look at his face. His eyes were closed but I couldn't shake the feeling of suspicion that was beginning to creep over me. This was too easy.

After moving to the other end of the tub to turn off the water, I dipped the pitcher in the water to fill it, then made my way behind him again, kneeling down with the pitcher in hand. "Tilt forward a bit please," I said and he sighed, seeming irritated to have to move from his relaxed position, and he sat upright, his eyes open but fixated on the wall in front of him. Slowly, I poured the pitcher of water over his hair to soak it, and placed a hand on his shoulder to signal him to lean back, my free hand reaching into my dress pocket as I bit into my lip. My pulse was racing and I did the best I could to summon up the courage I'd had the night I made my escape with Emma. I could only hope this would go more smoothly.

"I thought I made it clear that I prefer to have my hair washed last," he grumbled, and I moved my hand from his shoulder to his hair, seizing a fistful and tugged his head back violently, his skull bouncing off the edge of the tub with a loud "thunk!" Before he could do anything, I whipped the scissors out of my pocket and pressing the tip into his throat.

His eyes opened and he simply stared up at me, a wide grin spreading across his face as he began to laugh.

"Hello, Anna."


	8. Chapter 7

**Phantasm**

**Chapter 7**

My fist tightened around Loki's hair while I dug the tip of the scissors into his throat, not hard enough to break the skin but hard enough to at least be painful. As terrified as I was that everything would go bad fast, I couldn't help but feel an enjoyable rush of adrenaline while I held him there.

So this was what it was like to not be the vulnerable one... Having the god of chaos at my mercy was exhilarating.

However, my enjoyable adrenaline rush was short lived. An arm shot upwards from the water, and in a loud splash of water, with strength that I was not expecting, his arm reached behind him and locked around me, tugging me over his shoulder and into the water. In the few seconds it took me to realize what had happened, I became aware that not only was I under water, but that he was holding me down, his hands gripping down on my arms as he moved on all fours and pinned my legs down under his. I tried to fight back, but he had me pinned so well I could barely even squirm.

Just as I began to accept that I was going to die this way, his legs moved off me and his hand took hold of the back of my neck to pull me up, leaving me to cough up water and gasp for air as I halfway hung over the edge of the tub. After a moment, I felt his grip move to my hair, and I was pulled backwards, my back colliding into his chest as the scissors I'd dropped were now open with the exposed blade pressed against my neck.

"Oh how I love our little visits," he growled mockingly in my ear. "You really do know how to make a great entrance."

"Fuck you!" I sputtered.

He pressed the blade further into my skin until I was sure he'd drawn blood, and I remained perfectly still, waiting to see what he was going to do to me. "Have you really come here to die in this manner, you stupid girl?" I didn't answer and he released my hair, running his fingers through my wet locks, combing it away from my face and behind my ear, the scissors still in place as he whispered, "Or did you return for something more intimate than death?"

His free hand reached in front of me, trailing his fingers over my collar bone and gently down my cleavage, his palm moving over to cup my breast. My breathing hitched in the back of my throat and I lost focus. He could have killed me right then and there, and I knew it. But instead he teased me, his face moving to kiss the back of my head as I closed my eyes, unable to fight my growing arousal. I tried to convince myself that he had me under a spell to distract me as his hand moved from my breast to beneath the water massaging over the dress I'd stolen and finding its was between my legs.

Had my jeans not still been on underneath, causing me to barely feel him stroke me, I would have come undone.

My senses returned and I pulled my head forward, snapping it backwards so that it collided with his face. Loki gave an enraged shout as I was released, his hands cupping over his nose, and I scrambled out of the tub, falling out on the other side like a damp rag. As I moved to get to my feet, his hand was on my hair again, gripping down and tugging me backwards in one swift motion until my skull cracked against the porcelain tub with a loud crash. The stars that flashed in front of my eyes was the last thing I saw before I was violently brought into unconsciousness.

_"Tell me about the first time he hit you..."_

I opened my eyes slowly, my head throbbing as it rolled lazily from one side to the other, trying to make my vision clear itself enough for me to see where I was. I was submerged in perfectly warm water, and I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sensation of relaxation wash over me. A pair of hands were massaging my scalp, adding to the comfort, and I began to regain my bearings as I looked around, realizing slowly I was in the tub... and I was naked.

I snapped upright, the water splashing around me. The sudden head rush made me nearly fall back as I grasped the edges of the tub to steady myself, and behind me I heard an annoyed sigh. "If your goal is to receive another concussion, then by all means, try that again."

"Shut up, Loki," I grunted in response, hanging my head until my vision stopped spinning and I could look behind me. Loki was sitting fully clothed with his arms folded over the edge of the tub. His eyes went to my breasts and he smirked. "Apparently you aren't breastfeeding." I reached across to slap him, but his hand came up and caught me by the wrist, stopping me.

"The guards will see this!" I threatened.

"They will see what I make them see," he said, and I realized then he must have had some sort of illusion set up in case someone looked in. No doubt they would be unable to hear me as well. His hand on my wrist tightened its grip, and I slowly turned my back to him and rested my back against the tub, my body acting completely on its own with me unable to stop it.

"Amazing isn't it? What I can easily do to an unguarded mind..." he whispered in my ear. As he held me by the wrist, I discovered I couldn't move anything no matter how much I willed myself to. I was trapped in my own body, and the more I became aware of it the greater the desire to move anything at all became.

"Let me go!" I said in a frustrated voice. He said nothing, but I knew he was smiling, enjoying my increasingly uncomfortable state. I felt claustrophobia begin to creep over me and panic set in. My breathing became gasping and tears rolled down my face. "Let me go!" I screamed.

"Hush," Loki whispered. His free hand grasped the side of my head, his fingers pressing into my temple, and all at once the same calming feeling I'd felt earlier returned. "I'm not going to hurt you, Anna."

My breathing was nearly back to normal, but tears still fell as the desire to move was still pressing. I was completely at his mercy and I loathed it. After a minute he hand from my head and I simply sat there as his fingers began to massage some sort of scented oil in my hair, his other hand still holding me by the wrist. "Did he ever do this for you?" he asked after a few minutes. "Care for you? Pamper you? As though you were his queen?"

"No," I answered, unable to shake my head.

"Did you want him to?"

"I accepted that he wouldn't," I stated flatly.

"That wasn't my question," he replied with a hint of irritation. "Did you want to be his queen? Or did you want to simply be his object to be beaten or mounted into submission?"

I contemplated the question for a moment before answering honestly, "I wanted him to care for me at first..."

"But by the end?"

I felt tears in my eyes as I answered, "I just wanted him to want me."

I felt him pour a pitcher of water over my hair as he asked, "Did you love him?"

"Always," I answered, barely needing to think about it. His hand released my wrist and all at once my body was free to move again, bringing me a great rush of relief. I massaged my wrist and looked over to see him stand up and walk to the edge of the tub, holding his hand out to me.

"Trust me," he said, and in his eyes I saw no threat. Slowly, I reached over, taking his hand and he helped me out of the tub, retrieving a towel and proceeding to dry me off. Once he was done, he wrapped the towel around me and, to my surprise, picked me up into his arms, carrying me to his bed. "Lay on your stomach," he said as he sat me on the mattress and removed the towel. I began to fear where exactly this was going, but there was a look in his eyes that I was unfamiliar with yet still made me feel strangely safe. I obeyed, resting my head in my folded arms as I laid down.

Loki disappeared into the bathing chamber for a moment, then returned with a bottle of oil in his hands. He sat himself on the bed and proceeded to pour a little onto my back, leaning over to spread it as his hands began to gently massage me. I closed my eyes and groaned, feeling wonderful beneath his touch.

"Your muscles are in knots..." he commented as his thumbs bore inwards to massage them. "All those years of pain... I can practically feel their effects with my fingertips." I said nothing and he moved downwards towards my lower back. "He never once took care of you like this, did he?"

"No," I answered. "He didn't."

"And yet you loved him..." he mused. "I bet you craved this more than anything. Almost as much as you craved to be loved."

"I learned to do without," I muttered. His hand clamped down on the back of my neck and he pulled me upwards til I was on my knees, taking me by the shoulders and turning me til I was facing the mirror at the other side of his cell.

"You surrendered, Anna," he said with an intensity in his eyes. "You were his queen but you let him cast you from your throne and make you his dog. You gave in to the lie that you did not need to be loved." His hands ran down from my shoulders and reached over to my breasts, cupping them as he moved his mouth to my ear. "You learned to do without and in doing so you let him extinguish your fire, leaving you to try and ignore how much you longed for it to be re-lit."

He began to kiss my neck tenderly and I relaxed against him, his hands starting to slowly massage my breasts until my nipples grew hard beneath his fingertips. "How long have you wanted this?" he asked me. "How many years since you surrendered?"

"I don't know..." I moaned, closing my eyes as I let his every touch wash over me.

"Then I will give you what you want," he whispered, one of his hands trailing down my stomach until it found its place between my legs, his fingertips caressing my clitoris. "I will make you feel loved. Just this once."

He removed his hands and I turned to face him as he captured my lips in the most passionate kiss I had ever received in my life. His hands cupped my face as he laid me down, and his lips moved down, trailing hot kisses down between my beasts, and then migrating to one of my breasts, his tongue flicking over the nipple. I groaned, running my fingers through his hair, and his mouth covered over the hardened bud, teeth gently nipping at it and his hand massaging my other breast.

I moaned gently, closing my eyes as he drew wave after wave of pleasure from me, and he pulled his mouth off my body for a moment, whispering in a voice filled with desire, "You truly have no idea how beautiful you are..." I opened my eyes to see his own staring back at me, but instead of lust there was something else... something I couldn't quite place.

He moved himself downwards and spread my legs, his tongue tracing over my sex in a painfully slow manner. I gasped and reached back, my fingers clenching into the pillow behind me. My husband had never once done this to me, and I had only imagined what it would be like. His tongue was incredible as it skillfully found its way through my folds, flicking itself over my clitoris which sent even more waves through my body.

"Oh god...!" I moaned, and he groaned as if my own sounds were arousing him. I felt him gently slip a finger inside of me, and I clenched my walls around it, greedily wanting to feel every ounce of pleasure I could. He worked his fingers inside of me while his tongue worked on the outside, rendering me into nothing more but moans and heavy breathing until at last I felt my release drawing close.

I came hard, my body shaking as I bathed his fingers, and he pressed a warm kiss against my stomach, sitting up so he could remove his tunic and pants. Instinctively, I moved to return the favor, reaching my hand over to his hardened manhood, but he took hold of my wrist and shook his head, climbing over top of me and pinning my wrist to the pillow. "This is for you," he said in a silky tone, beginning to kiss my jawline. "Think of yourself as a goddess to be worshiped. Allow yourself to be a queen once again."

He positioned himself between my thighs and slid himself into me, moving painfully slow as he began to thrust. His lips stayed near my ear, allowing me to hear every ragged breath as he moved, and I wrapped my arms around him, my nails digging into his bare back as I moved my own hips into his to deepen the sensation.

An overwhelming warmth was spreading through my body and for the fist time since I'd lost my virginity years ago, I truly felt I was becoming one with someone. The feeling of his body pressed to mine, the sound of his breathing, the way he was letting me know that I was the source of his pleasure and that he truly desired me... it was something I'd never known. I had become accustomed to being a source of release, not desire.

His pace began to pick up, and he raised his torso up from my own, looking into my eyes as I locked my legs around him. I clenched myself around him and he closed his eyes, letting out a deep groan as he picked up his pace. "You've no idea what that does to me," he gasped and I smiled, bucking my hips into his to encourage him to move faster.

All at once his thrusts became violent, his hips slamming into me as I felt him hit my core, and I cried out, keeping pace with him through each earth shattering thrust. I was close again, and I could tell he was as well by the way the muscles in his arms and legs began to twitch. He lowered his lips to my ear once again, biting at my lobe and I wrapped my arms around him in an embrace, crying out as we reached our orgasms together, moaning each other's names incoherently.

I lay still for a while, my arms still around him as I panted, and his own body trembling from the force of his climax. Eventually, he picked his head up, kissing me once more, tenderly.

"How long have you longed for this?" he whispered.

"Too long..." I muttered, releasing him to rest my arms above my head. He slowly rolled off me and lay on his side, coiling an arm around my waist as he drew me close, spooning me.

"How did it make you feel?" he asked, kissing my shoulders as his fingers caressed the side of my arm.

Smiling I whispered, "Like a goddess."

His fingers curled themselves in my hair bringing a small portion of it up to his lips for a kiss, and I watched our reflection in the mirror as his eyes locked on mine. "Then I have given you what you want," he said, his expression growing solemn. "But know this: it will not happen again."

I felt a stab of heartache as he spoke those words, and I stared at his reflection in disbelief of the fact that I'd just been used. "What?!" I snapped.

His expression did not change as he spoke. "It will not happen again. Not until I've given you what you need."

Rage filled me. More cryptic statements? Now?!

I twisted around, wanting to face him rather than his reflection, and began to cry, "What do you mean by that?!" but once I twisted around to face him, he was gone, I was back in my chambers in the palace, and I was fully clothed and dry, the scent of lilac gone as though it had never been there.

I scrambled to my feet, looking around my room, and as I began to fear none of it had been real I buried my face in my hands, digging my nails into my scalp as I growled out, "FUCK!"


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

I yawned while looking out the window as I passed it for what felt like the millionth time. I knew I hardly had the right to complain when nights like this occurred. Most of the time Emma was relatively easy to take care of at night. She'd wake, cry for her bottle, and after being fed and changed she was usually out in a matter of minutes. But once in a while there would come a night where for no reason at all she could not be calmed. This was one of those nights.

As long as I continued to pace, she remained quiet, her big blue eyes watching the room curiously as I trudged, each step becoming heavier than the last. I looked over to the mirror to check on her eyes and groaned when I saw they were still open wide.

"Emma..." I whined. "Please! Mommy needs to sleep!" I received and almost frustrated sounding grunt in response and I sighed, wondering what on earth and infant had to sound that frustrated over.

I dared to stop once again, sitting down on the bed to give myself a break, but the moment I did she began to whimper... and within seconds the whimpering worked its way back up to screaming and I felt my own tears forming.

There came a knock at the door and I rolled my eyes, thinking it was probably someone coming to yell at me for not being able to soothe my own baby. "What?" I called none too friendly, my nerves completely fried. The door opened, and Frigga poked her head in with a concerned look, though I realized quickly the concern was directed towards me and not Emma who almost sounded as though she were being tortured.

"I've been hearing her for the last hour," she said as she stepped in, sitting on the bed beside me.

"I'm sorry!" I half sobbed, but she shook her head, placing a hand on my shoulder and reaching over to caress Emma's cheek with the other.

"You've nothing to apologize for," she said, watching Emma. "Being a mother is no easy task... especially when someone insists on being difficult," she added, smiling a little as Emma stopped crying for a moment to look at her curiously. Frigga reached out and gently pulled Emma from my arms, cradling her as she stared up at her, her little pink lips forming a pout.

"Why don't you take a few moments for yourself," she said, turning to me. "I'll look after her for you."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" I asked, feeling bad as I knew it was late. From the way she smiled down at Emma and how closely she cradled her, I could tell she missed having a baby around. My own mother was always the same way with her.

I felt a small stab of pain... I really missed my mother...

"Go," Frigga simply said, dismissing me with a smile and I stood up, not needing to be told twice.

It had been two days since my last encounter with Loki, and a part of me expected him to appear at any second. I found myself looking over my shoulder and glancing cautiously at dark corners as I walked, but there was nothing. Ever since the last time I saw him, I'd been pondering over his words to me. He seemed to believe he had some sort of duty to carry out with me, but whatever it was he also seemed to have no intention of simply telling me what exactly that was. Instead he'd resorted to mind games, and the frustration was keeping me awake almost as often as Emma's fussing.

As I walked, I began to wonder if there was by chance a way to summon him? I had no desire to hunt him down in the prisons again as my head was still throbbing from the last attempt. The last two times I'd seen him, I remembered he'd inquired about a specific memory, and deciding it was worth a try, I made my way to the library, trusting it would be private enough to attempt what I was about to do.

I peaked inside, using what I was able to see through the doorway to determine whether or not it was empty, and once I was satisfied I slipped in, closing the door behind me. The library itself was deceptively large, and I felt confident enough that I'd be able to stay hidden, should anyone walk in. I worked my way far enough towards the back, and found a place to sit on the floor, leaning against the shelves behind me while I focused.

_"Tell me about the first time he hit you," _was the memory he'd prodded at twice now, so closing my eyes I brought myself back to that day.

"I was in the kitchen..." I said in a hushed tone. "I was home alone in our first apartment, it was a few months before we were to be married, and my he was about to come home from work." I looked around. Everything remained still, my settings hadn't changed... or so I thought at first. I was already about to give up when I noticed the floor. It was no longer the typical stone floors that extended throughout the palace. It was cheap linoleum with an ugly design I'd learned to loathe as I'd seen it so many times while scrubbing it til it was perfectly clean...

"It was 8pm," I continued. "And I'd just cut myself while making dinner..." The book cases began to shift, and I felt the slicing pain of a cut form down the center of my thumb. My stomach twisted with nausea and I closed my eyes, trying to will it away until I was certain everything had settled itself into the kitchen of the old apartment.

I opened my eyes to the sound of water running, and saw I was standing in front of the sink, rinsing off the blood. There was no sign of Loki, though I still believed he was there somewhere. It was, after all, his magic that made these memories become real.

"He came home..." I heard the front door open and shut. "And saw me washing my cut." I waited, but when I heard no footsteps, I realized I'd gotten it wrong. "No, wait... He saw the counter first." I heard what I assumed was Loki filling in my husband's role again, as he made his way towards me, stopping to look at the counter, then at me. I waited but there was no commentary as usual so I continued. "I didn't know it would stain..." I whispered.

"Dammit Anna!" The sound of my husband's voice made me want to crawl inside myself and hide. I twisted around as I had when it happened, and to my horror, it was not Loki. My husband glared at me, but I remained frozen in place. "We're moving in two weeks! There'll be a final walk through to inspect the place, and we get charged for any damages. So why the hell would you choose now to ruin the counter?"

"Shit!" I gasped, unable to stop from replaying the events as I picked up a sponge from the sink. "It's not ruined" I went to wipe up the blood, but a faint red stain remained in its place no matter how hard I scrubbed. "Oh no... Oh god I'm sorry! I didn't think-"

"That seems to be a trend with you!" He grasped my forearm and tugged me to him, clamping down hard enough to make me yelp as I dropped the sponge. "You never think things through! Is this how it's going to be? You'll just treat all my things with disrespect because now you've got a wonderful fiancé who makes more money than you could ever hope to make so now you don't have to worry about a thing? Is that it?!"

"You're hurting me!" I cried, trying to pull away. His eyes flared with rage, and I felt utterly helpless.

"Oh I am? Well maybe it will help you remember to take better care of my things! Maybe it'll get you to stop leaving your clothes on my bedroom floor, or your drinks on my surfaces without any coasters! If that's what it takes then-"

"I'm sorry!" I cried.

"Don't interrupt me!" he shouted, and with a loud crack his hand struck me across the face hard enough to make my head jerk to the side from the force.

I stood frozen, breathing heavily while my face throbbed. He had made contact with my eye socket, and I could already feel it swelling. My husband stood with a stunned expression on his face, blinking several times, before clearing his throat.

"Anna... I..." he stammered, releasing me. I stumbled backwards into the counter, my hand covering where he struck me, and I stared at him, shaking. "I'm sorry, Anna. I didn't mean to do that..." He was blinking rapidly and ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "I just... you just drive me so crazy sometimes..." He stepped closer and I shrank back, but not far enough to stop him from gently taking me by the shoulders. "Just please... try to be more careful from now on. Okay?" He kissed my forehead and turned to leave. "I'll buy you some makeup for that eye." With that, he was gone, leaving me to crumble to the floor in sobs.

"He swore it would never happen again," came a voice, and I looked over to see a pair of familiar boots standing in front of me. I shuddered as I took a deep breath, and I slowly picked up my head, the side of my face throbbing too much for my eye level to reach further than his knees.

"I know," I whispered.

Loki's knees bent as he squatted down to reach eye level with me. "And how long was it before he broke his promise?"

"A month..." I answered. "Almost exactly."

"And what happened?"

I sighed and looked around, watching as everything changed around us once again, and I was sitting in a beautiful restaurant, wearing my cliché little black dress, the only dress I owned, and my husband sat beside me, dressed in a suit and tie. Sitting across from us were two of his co-worker and his spouse. I didn't remember their names. In all honesty, I really didn't care what they were. I wasn't there to make friends, I was there to be shown off.

"You'd been crying," Loki noted, and I managed to catch a glimpse of him dressed as the waiter, bringing over a bottle of wine to our table.

"We were fighting on the drive over," I answered, my burning eyes telling me that they were probably still a little puffy from tears.

"About what?"

"He felt I wasn't dressed appropriately," I sighed, looking down at myself. The fact that I was even in a dress had me uncomfortable enough, but having been told it was too revealing knocked me down a few more pegs.

"You look lovely," the co-worker said to me and I smiled, trying to hide my pain while I said a polite, "Thank you." Loki moved around to pour the wine into my glass, and as I glanced up I caught a brief look of him pulling his eyes away from my cleavage.

A conversation had begun and I was only halfheartedly listening, my mind continuously wandering, mostly to the argument in the car. And that's when it happened. Without meaning to, I yawned.

"How about a dance, sweetheart?" came my husband's voice almost immediately. My stomach curled and I felt my mouth begin to water. "I'm going to be sick..!" I whimpered to Loki.

"Keep going..." he insisted.

I stood up, taking my husband's hand, and he escorted me out on to the floor where a few other couples were already dancing. I tried to keep my eyes on Loki, feeling even more uneasy to not have him filling in my husband's role anymore, but following him became impossible when I felt my husband's fingers dig into my back and his other hand crush mine. I inhaled sharply, but fought to keep a straight face, not wanting to attract attention.

"You just want to embarrass me tonight!" he whispered in a venomous tone.

"What's wrong with you?" I whispered back.

"Me? What's wrong with you!" he hissed. "You show up with me tonight dressed like I just picked you up off the street corner. And now you have the nerve to act bored in front of my colleague?"

"I'm not trying to embarrass you!" I insisted.

"Shut up!" My stomach tightened, then released and I looked to Loki in panic.

"I'm really going to be sick!"

"Not yet!" he replied intensely. "What happened next?"

"Nothing," I answered. "...until we got home."

I was suddenly in apartment again, and once the door was closed, two hands were on my shoulders, and I was spun around and slammed into the wall. "No!" I screamed and a hand clamped down over my mouth.

"I tried to do something nice for you tonight!" he growled. "I thought that maybe you were tired of sitting around this dump doing nothing with your life, so I brought you out to spend some time in the real world with real people, so then maybe you'd actually have some friends for a change. But you couldn't appreciate that, could you?"

I gave a muffled cry under his palm in response, and he pulled my face forward, his fingers digging into my jaw before slamming my head back.

"Quiet!" he snapped. My heart pounded as my eyes searched the room. I couldn't see Loki anywhere. "You think I like being this angry with you? You think I like watching you cry? I hate it, Anna! I swear I hate it! But I swear you insist it's the only way I can get through to you..." Tears rolled down my face and he removed his hand from my mouth to allow me to gasp for air as my body was wracked with sobs.

"I'm sorry!" I sputtered. "I'm sorry!"

"Stop crying!" His hand struck me across the face and I let out a cry of pain. "I told you to be quiet!" He struck me again and I buckled to the floor, holding a hand up to defend myself. I could not hold back the sobs and it only angered him further. "Goddammit! Be quiet!" He kicked me in the ribs, knocking the wind out of me, and I moved to shield my face, fighting to get myself under control. "If the neighbors hear you, they'll think I beat you and then they'll call the cops, and is that what you want? Do you want me to be locked up?"

"No!" I wept.

"That's right, because without me you wouldn't have any of this! You'd be back with your parents again and we both know you have a hard time meeting men. Do you think it's easy loving you? How long do you think it'd be before you could even find another man willing to be as patient with you as I am?"

"I know," I whispered, my breathing coming in small shudders while I fought back my tears. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do it."

He knelt down, taking me by the arms, and pulled me up to my feet. "Calm down," he hushed me, pulling me into an embrace. "I told you I hate to watch you cry."

I began to gag, and everything around me spun back to the way it was, as I collapsed to the library floor, unable to hold it in anymore as I became sick all over the stone. Behind me I heard Loki swear, and as soon as I was done retching, he carefully helped me to my feet, handing me a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe off my mouth.

"I knew you would come," I said after a moment. "Why? Why are you doing this?"

"What exactly do you think I'm doing?" he inquired, his expression almost stern.

"You're using my memories against me. You know exactly what hurts and you dig right into it!"

"So it's to torture you then?" He looked offended and shook his head. "Then what about the other night? In the prison?"

"Then you're at least trying to fuck with my head! Either way, it stops now! I'm not playing into your games anymore." I turned to step past him but he stopped me.

"It would be so much easier to just believe that, wouldn't it?" he cried, taking me by the arm. "You haven't figured out what this is all about, have you? You've barely even tried! And why would you when you've got my mother pampering to your every insecurity, and my brother and his moronic friends welcoming you in with open arms."

"What are you talking about?"

"I will not spoon-feed it to you, Anna! But if its mind games you expect from me, then here's one to rob you of the next few nights of sleep. Tell me, how was it that Jane came to your rescue in your time of need?"

"What?" I cried.

"You'd never seen each other before, and suddenly she's there, saving you and your daughter. Why? How did she even know you were in the hospital?"

"You're insane!" I said, trying to step away, but he held me firm.

"You wondered the same questions when she first came to you, but then you simply accepted it, just as you've come to simply accept and not question a lot of things since you've arrived. You've become too comfortable simply accepting things. But tell me, how did Jane even know you at all, Anna?"

"Because we went to school together!" I shouted angrily at him. "I knew her from school."

His expression did not change as he asked me, "Did you?"

My mind went back to the same memories it had before, of the girl sitting in class turning the pages in her book... or had she had red hair? Or the girl raising her hand in class... or did she wear glasses? Or walking down the halls... or was that girl heavier set?

The more I tried the think, the more my memories continued to shift and change until I was caught in a storm of confusion. My eyes wandered to Loki's hand on my arm and I forced myself out of his grip, realizing now what he was doing. "Stop it!" I shouted. "Stay out of my head!"

I pushed past him and fled for my chambers.


	10. Chapter 9

(A/N: I feel like I need a warning before this chapter as it was very difficult to write. Violence ahead).

**Chapter 9**

Loki was right. Sleep did not come to me that night, and surprisingly, it was not because of Emma. Frigga had successfully soothed her by the time I'd returned and she was sleeping soundly in her cradle.

"Thank god she's asleep," I sighed with relief. Frigga looked up from the cradle to me, and in a blink her smile was gone, her eyes widening in horror.

"Your face!" she cried. I turned my head to face the mirror and utilized all my restraint to keep from gawking in horror. The side of my face was completely bruised and swollen from every blow I'd just relived, and seeing myself in that condition again made my stomach churn and my blood freeze. I'd almost forgotten what it was like... all those lonely days in front of mirrors while applying as much makeup as I could to hide it...

"What happened?" Frigga asked in a panic as she got to her feet and ran to me.

"I fell," I answered, wishing I'd known I was going to look like this or else I would have had time to craft a better lie since I already knew she'd never believe the truth. "I'm fine." I could tell in her eyes she didn't believe what I'd said either, but I said nothing.

"That does not look like you've fallen." Her tone was almost scolding, and she placed a hand over my face, a faint green glow emanating from it as I felt a comforting warmth spread through my bruises. "Enough of this," she whispered, still sounding as though she were scolding me, and my eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"You know what's been happening... don't you?" I questioned. She broke her eye contact with me, though whether it was to avoid the question or to watch my bruises heal, I was unsure.

After a very long pause, she pulled her hand from my face and turned me to face the mirror to see how I'd healed. "Anna," she said gently. "I know more than you think. And I know where it all leads, but it's a path you don't have to take..." There was a deep sadness in her gaze and I felt frustrated, wishing she would just tell me what was going on.

"What's happening to me then?" I asked, tears stinging my eyes.

She forced a smile and whispered, "There's no shame in choosing happiness, Anna." With that, she left, and I sighed. At least I knew now where Loki got his love of cryptic statements from.

As I lay in bed, I couldn't sleep or find the ability to relax enough to simply doze. Loki's question was now on my mind and while I tried to convince myself he had simply been manipulating my memories to toy with me, which was not a far-fetched theory by any means, a part of me had somehow cared too much about that question, and I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Why had Jane helped me?

I had been so quick to accept that she'd known me in high school, even if it was as nothing more than an acquaintance, and she'd simply come to my aid when she heard-

How did she hear?

I was no one of importance, and neither was my husband. Unless the crash had been something spectacular, there was no reason for the story to have made the news. So how had she known?

I rolled over, my mind returning to the accident, despite my best efforts to keep from thinking about it, and I felt another wave of nausea. The sensation made me wonder why, lately, my memories seemed to make me sick to my stomach?

As I closed my eyes I could still hear the windows shattering and feel the door buckle into me from the impact. My ribs began to throb from the memory and I sat up, massaging them while I turned my eyes to Emma, her peaceful slumber making me feel a little more tranquil.

Loki did not appear that night. Nor the next. Instead I was left to toss and turn, his question (as well as many of my own) refusing to let my mind relax enough to get a decent night's sleep. Very quickly, I could feel it taking its toll, and soon I was stumbling around the palace in a zombie-like state, my nerves completely on edge, and Emma's fussing getting on my nerves more than usual.

By the third night, I had my mind made up that if Loki did not show, I would hunt him down myself. I needed answers and I needed to sleep, and after the vague conversation with Frigga, I had become convinced that he really did have the answers. That something big was going on that had been continuously eluding me and he somehow held the key to understanding what that was. If that required enduring his mind games, then so be it. Anything was better than these sleepless nights.

So when I caught a glimpse of him in the shadows as I rolled over for the third time, rather than surprise or fear, I felt relief. "You," I breathed.

"Hello, Anna."

I sat up and watched as he paced to the bed, sitting at the foot of it. His eyes scanned over my face before he spoke. "You look positively exhausted." I'd expected there to be a cocky grin at the end of that observation, but there was none. Instead he almost looked concerned.

"Just as you planned," I said.

"Then I trust you've had plenty of time to think."

"I have," I answered. "And I have just as many answers as I did last time... only now I have even more questions."

"Good." Now came the grin. "At least you're finally asking questions."

I sighed and leaned back against the headboard, and in a flash he was beside me, hands tucked behind his head as he leaned back as well, watching me from the corner of his eyes.

"I don't suppose you intend to answer any of them for me then?" I asked.

"Only that one," he replied. "And I bet you can guess my answer."

I sighed and looked up to the ceiling. "Then I'm completely lost."

"Perhaps you're not."

"I am," I insisted. "I keep running over the same questions again and again in my head, but nothing makes any sense..." The sudden movement beside me made me jump, part of me expecting him to be upset with my lack of understanding, but instead he was now sitting upright, turned so that his body faced me, and there was a wicked smile spread across his devilish features.

"You've progressed further than you think,"

"But I-" He placed a finger over my lips to silence me.

"Ssh!" he hushed. "Do you hear that?" In the distance I could hear what sounded like multiple bells, but there was a strange familiarity to their ringing. As I listened closer, turning my head towards the window to try to see their source, the scattered ringing soon became more organized in its sound, until it was clearly playing out a tune. I couldn't brush off the feel of nostalgia, but I still couldn't put my finger on what the song was.

I turned to look at Loki, jumping when I found his face was a mere few inches from my own as he opened his mouth, a voice coming out that was definitely not his. "_This is what I brought you, this you can keep. This is what I brought, you may forget me..._"

"Oh god," I groaned, remembering now exactly the song I was hearing.

"_I promise to depart, just promise one thing..._"

"You've got to be kidding me."

"_...Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep._"

The room spun and I was sitting in my old bedroom, cross-legged on the bed while the radio next to me continued to play the song where Loki left off. I was clutching something tightly in my hands, but I was too busy still taking in my surroundings to see what it was.

"Oh come now, Anna," Loki's voice spoke, though once again he was nowhere to be seen. I wondered what he'd show up as this time, if at all. "I thought this song was your favorite?"

"When I was in high school, maybe," I snorted.

"Until something happened that made you hate it. What was that?"

The door to the garage slammed shut and I jumped, looking down now at the item in my hands. A positive pregnancy test.

"Anna, there's still laundry in the washing machine," my husband complained as he stepped into the room. "Were you going to move it to the dryer sometime today, or do you prefer our clothes smelling like mildew?"

"I'll take care of it," I said, slowly getting to my feet, trying to hide how nervous I felt. I remembered how it felt at the time. The news I had to give him could go either way, and I had learned to fear he'd react badly.

"You look as if you're marching to your grave," Loki remarked.

"We'd never even talked about having kids. I honestly didn't think he wanted any," I answered. I handed the test to my husband and waited silently as he looked it over. "That's the third one I've taken," I whispered. "They're all positive."

Waiting for his face to show any reaction of any kind was a slow torture. For the longest time his face remained expressionless, and I internally prepared myself for the worst.

"Have you made an appointment yet?" he asked after a while.

"I'm going in for a pregnancy test tomorrow," I answered.

"That's not what I meant," he replied, his eyes turning up to me. "We can't afford a child right now. You know that." He tossed out the pregnancy test. "When the test at the doctor's turns up positive, make the appointment as soon as possible."

I felt my stomach drop, and the only thing that kept me from crying was the fact that I hadn't shed a tear when it had happened. Instead I looked up at him, already defeated but unable to stop from saying, "What do you mean we can't afford it? You just got promoted! You already make more than enough for us to live on. And you have a medical plan that covers-"

"This is not open for discussion, Anna," he replied calmly.

"Why not? It's my body!"

"IT'S MY HOUSE!" he shouted, making me leap backwards. "As long as you are living in it, you will respect my rules!"

"I'm your wife! Not your child!" I shouted back. He blinked at me in response, then turned to the radio, picking it up.

"Not a child? Not a child?" he shouted. "Instead of taking care of the household chores you sit around all day listening to teenage emo music?"

"I do not sit around all day!" I cried, flushing with embarrassment as he insulted my music.

"Anna, there are dishes in the sink, the laundry still needs to be done, and I can't remember the last time you vacuumed! You can't even take care of my house! How do you expect to take care of a child?!" I grit my teeth but kept my mouth shut, my heart pounding in my chest as rage filled me. "Maybe when you grow up enough to take care of my things, we can discuss having a child. But as for now, there is no way we are keeping that thing, so make the appointment." With that he left and I stood still, my hands clenched into tight fists.

All at once the music playing from the radio became the most irritating sound I could imagine, and with an angry scream, I tore it from the nightstand and threw it to the ground, stomping on it until the music stopped, and I collapsed in sobs.

"You still hate that song even though you still had your daughter?" Loki asked.

"I wasn't pregnant with Emma at the time..." I whispered, feeling utterly broken at the memory.

"...So you made the appointment..." there was almost a sadness in his voice, and I nodded. I'd never forgiven myself for letting my husband make that decision for me. After that day, I'd worked hard to keep his perfect house in perfect order and to be his perfect wife so that I would never ever have to go through that again.

Everything turned black and Loki stepped into view, standing before me and looking down at me as I wept softly, unwilling to stand up.

"Why did you even marry this man?" he asked. I bit my lip and shook my head.

"I loved him," I answered, feeling the utter absurdity of that statement.

"You could not have loved him," Loki replied, crouching down. "A man who went to great lengths to make your life a living hell... A man you grew to fear and cower before. How could you possibly love him?"

I blinked away tears and shook my head. "I honestly don't know," I answered. "It wasn't always like this... not at the beginning... but by the end it was all I knew. As much as I wanted to hate him... I couldn't imagine my life without him." Loki's expression was filled with disappointment, but I couldn't say anything more as I really had no other way of explaining it. While whatever had made me fall in love with my husband was long gone by that point, I couldn't stop loving him, hard as I tried. And the fear of being alone had robbed me of rational thinking. It was a truth I'd come to accept over time.

"So what's next?" I asked after a while. "What painful memory do you have for me next?"

"That's really all you have isn't it," he remarked. "Painful memory after painful memory."

I shook my head, thinking back on when I held Emma in my arms for the first time. "No," I answered. "Not all of them were painful."

Emma's nursery formed around us, and I was standing over the changing table, bent over Emma while fastening a clean diaper into place. Her chubby little baby legs kicked around wildly, and as I smiled down at her, she opened her mouth in a large toothless grin and let out a giggle.

"There was the first time she giggled," I commented, unable to keep from smiling. The room changed and I was sitting on the floor in the living room, Emma laying on a blanket and looking up at me, cooing away while I mimicked every sound she made, much to her amusement. "Our first conversation," I chuckled to Loki.

Again, we were back in the nursery and I was bent over the crib, laughing as I watched Emma stare at her hands with large eyes, slowly curling and uncurling her fingers. "The first time she discovered she had hands."

"Adorable," he muttered seeming bored, but I shrugged it off.

"It didn't matter how hurt my husband made me feel in the beginning," I said, still watching Emma with a smile. "Emma seemed to know how to make me feel better from the moment she arrived and she wasn't even trying. I'd go through it again just to have her."

"All of it?" he asked. I turned to look at him and there was a solemn expression on his face that made me uneasy. Everything around us faded to grey, soon I was in the bedroom again, this time folding laundry. I looked around, trying to figure out which memory he'd brought me into this time, all the while feeling nausea begin to creep in, a sensation I was becoming used to by now, but along with it came something else... dread.

"What memory is this?" I asked.

"It's not _my_ memory," Loki answered and I sighed, feeling my anxiety grow while I waited for another hint.

When Emma began to cry from her room, I knew instantly what memory we were in and I began to panic. "Loki, no! Not this one!"

I could hear the sounds of heavy footfalls on the stairs and as much as I wanted to drop what I was doing and run to Emma, I remained glued to where I was, viciously forced to relive the events exactly as they had happened, all the while wishing now more than ever I could change them as I knew now what was coming. "Loki!" I cried. "Please! Not this one!"

"Are you just going to let her scream all day?" my husband's voice roared. I looked up from the laundry.

"I've got it," I called, getting to my feet. Inside I was furiously trying to force myself to move faster, wishing I hadn't moved at such a casual pace at the time. As I rounded the corner and began to step through the doorway, I saw my husband moving towards the crib, his enraged manner making me instantly fearful. "Honey, it's okay! I've got her!" I called, moving to run in.

He had her in his hands, aggressively pulling her from the crib before I could stop him. "Stop crying!" he shouted. Emma wailed, her little feet curling underneath her and her lower lip shaking.

"Please, just give her to me!" I shouted at him, grabbing on to his arm. I watched his fingers dig into her tiny body and he shook her furiously.

"Stop it! Goddamn it! Stop screaming!" he continued to shout.

"Don't shake her!" I screamed, tugging him by the arm. His elbow snapped backwards, hitting me in the gut and causing me to fall backwards. He practically threw her back down in her crib and brought his hand up.

"I said STOP!" he growled, and with a loud crack he brought his hand down, Emma's screams changing from ones for attention to screams of pain.

My stomach churned and I felt my insides cramp up. Twisting on to all fours quickly, I lunged myself at him, knocking him to the ground, causing him to smack his head into the night stand on his way down. In the pause it took for him to collect himself enough to begin to get to his feet, I was already on mine, picking Emma up from the crib and running for the bathroom, slamming the door shut and locking it.

I sank to the floor, leaning my back against the door as I soon felt my husband's fists bang against it and I looked down at Emma in my arms, who was still screaming frantically, her arms reaching upwards and shaking. The right side of her face was red, but despite how loud the slap had sounded, it didn't look as though it would leave a mark once the red faded.

"Emma, I'm so sorry!" I sobbed, holding her against my chest, trying to ignore the sounds of angry shouting from the other side of the door. I rocked her back and forth, kissing her face again and again, unable to hold her close enough, and eventually I heard my husband begin to let up as he stormed off to calm down.

Emma's screams eventually faded into whimpering and I cradled her closer, kissing her forehead as I rocked her, my tears falling on her face. "It's okay, baby," I whispered. "Mommy's got you. Mommy's got you."

The memory faded and we were back in my chambers in Asgard, sitting on the bed. "Emma!" I wailed, crumbling forwards, and Loki caught me, his arms holding me in a tight embrace as I sobbed.

"Hush..." he whispered soothingly, one hand cradling the back of my head and the other rubbing my back.

"You bastard! You fucking bastard!" I sobbed into his chest, and I felt him exhale slowly as he held me even tighter. "Is that why you're doing this?" I asked finally, looking up at him. "You're punishing me for what he did to her? Do you honestly think I've ever forgiven myself for not getting to her first? For letting that monster touch her?"

"Calm down, Anna," he whispered.

"I hate myself! I hate myself for what I let him do to her!" His hands went to my shoulders and he pushed me back, forcing me to look into his eyes.

"Then you knew what he was going to do the moment he set foot on those stairs," he said in a way that made me think he was accusing me.

"No," I sniffled, brushing tears away. "I didn't realize he meant to hurt her until it was too late and I couldn't save her."

"...then how is it your fault?" he asked.

"Because I stayed..." I whispered. "I stayed with him for all that time, through all the abuse, and I was stupid enough to think he would leave our daughter alone..."

"How did he behave prior to that day?"

I sat silently and thought for a moment. "That was the first time he became violent after I found out I was pregnant with Emma," I answered. Loki said nothing but watched me thoughtfully as I sniffled and hugged myself. "He was actually very caring during the pregnancy. I mean we argued occasionally... but it was the first time I felt like I was in a normal marriage." I wiped my eyes.

I looked towards the mirror, and the reflection changed, portraying an image of my husband sitting on the sofa with Emma in his lap while he read aloud from a picture book.

"After she was born and he still kept his temper under control, I thought Emma had been the key to healing our relationship. I thought the worst was finally over and that she had been what he needed to get himself together..."

The image faded and I stared at my tired reflection.

"And after nine months of seemingly changed behavior... who could blame you?" I shook my head.

"I shouldn't have bought it," I sighed, looking down on the bed. "I should have left the moment I found out I was pregnant."

"You wanted to believe the man you loved had overcome his abusive nature and was finally becoming the loving husband and caring father you wanted him to be," Loki whispered, curling a finger under my chin, tilting my head so I met his gaze. "Where is the crime in that?" I couldn't answer him and he gently brushed my tears away with his hands.

"Why are you being so understanding all of the sudden?" I asked. "You were so hostile the first night you visited me, but now you're almost being nice."

"I think we both know it's what you need right now," he whispered with a half smile. "Though if you wish I can become mean."

"Don't," I said, smiling sadly. "I need nice right now."

"Then I think I can accommodate that," he whispered, moving to lay next to me. I laid myself down beside him and he pulled me into his arms, allowing me to rest my head on his chest while he pulled the blankets up and over us.

"So... are you trying to tell me with all of this that it's not my fault? That I need to stop blaming myself for what my husband did?" I asked after a moment. He breathed deeply and kissed my forehead.

"Get some sleep, Anna," he whispered. My eyelids fell shut, either by his magic or my own exhaustion.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The warmth of daylight on my face was the first thing to wake me, and the heavy but blissful sensation that was currently consuming my body made me realize just how deeply I had been sleeping. I rolled over, expecting to find I was once again in an empty bed, just as I had every other time.

When I came face to face with a pair of closed eyes beneath a few stray stands of messy black hair, I almost jumped right out of the bed.

Loki was sound asleep, one arm tucked behind his head, his other hand resting on his slowly rising and falling chest. I debated on whether or not I should wake him, knowing anyone could walk in at any second, but I couldn't stop watching him, seeming to take in some tranquility myself from watching him in such a deep state of sleep. My mind went back to the time I spent with him in the cell, and I mused over how I almost wished it had ended with him asleep by my side.

Loki was frustrating to understand, I was quickly learning. Since my arrival, he'd been someone I'd cowered from, grew enraged with, was aroused by, and no doubt attracted to. What he had in mind for me still was beyond me. Then again, I was still unsure what exactly was going on around me. With each of his visits my perception of reality was growing more and more confusing.

There was one question I still hadn't pondered too deeply... the question of how he was continuously visiting me like this. I hadn't given it much thought recently, but now that he'd encouraged me to start asking more questions, I couldn't help but begin to wonder how him laying beside me was even possible. My stomach twisted with nausea, surprising me, and as if he knew, Loki's eyes snapped open.

He placed his hand on my shoulder, grasping it firmly, and he shook his head. "None of that, today," he whispered.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, holding my stomach. He paused, looking me over contemplatively.

"I don't want you thinking on it, today," he said. "We explored some truly dark places last night. I want you to give it a rest for a while."

"Thank you," I breathed with relief as he pressed his lips to my forehead.

I couldn't help but feel glad he had chosen to behave in a caring manner today, and I relaxed against him, murmuring sleepily, "Show me something beautiful."

"What would you like to see?" he asked.

"Anything," I answered, stroking his pale cheek. He reached up, taking my hand as he looked deep into my eyes, and around us the room changed.

I was standing in a snowy forest, surrounded by snow covered trees, and above me was a night sky littered with stars. Even though there were flakes falling all around me, I didn't feel cold, even though I was not only not wearing a coat, but I was barefoot as well.

Behind me, Loki stood, looking up at the falling snow, a faint smile spreading across his face. I could tell in that moment he'd brought me to a place that brought him true peace. I wondered how many times he retreated here himself when he needed time alone.

"Even before I knew my true parentage," he spoke, still watching the snow. "I always found something beautiful about snow." I smiled, enjoying seeing him like this, and I looked up into the night sky, letting the flakes land on my face. Loki stepped closer, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing my neck.

"I must leave you soon," he whispered. "Enjoy your day. Enjoy your beautiful daughter. Take in some fresh air. No more darkness for today."

He slowly withdrew from me, and the forest disappeared, bringing us back to my chambers, laying in my bed again. Sitting up, Loki stretched with a yawn, then got to his feet, pacing over towards Emma's cradle and peering in at the sleeping infant. I sat up, watching him, thinking of how the last time I was in this position I'd been frozen with fear. This time, however, I felt differently. The desire to protect her was not there, and I felt safe. After watching her for a moment, Loki muttered something that, while I wasn't positive, sounded like, "Your husband is a bastard."

And just like that he was gone, disappearing into thin air. I climbed out of bed, seizing the opportunity to have a few moments to myself before Emma would awaken, and went about getting myself dressed and presentable.

I found myself taking Loki's advice, wandering out to the courtyard after the soldiers had finished their training, and after laying out a blanket, I set Emma down on her tummy to let her practice picking her head up and propping herself up on both arms while I sat back with a book, listening to her little sounds to make sure she wasn't about to get fussy.

Behind me, I heard footsteps and before I had time to look up, Thor sat himself down next to me. "Glad to see you're looking well, Anna," he said and I smiled, setting the book down.

"I slept like a rock," I replied, looking down to see Emma holding her head up, wobbling a little from the strain before slowly setting it down again.

"I assume that would be after you were crying." I blinked, looking to him slowly.

"You heard me?" I asked, caring more to know how much he had heard.

"You were one of the voices I heard." I had no idea how to respond to that, so I sat silently, waiting for him to speak again. "My mother approached me with concern, so I came to your chambers to check on you. That was when I heard you crying and my brother's voice."

"So am I in trouble now?" I asked, turning my eyes back on Emma.

"No, but I will offer you a word of caution. You don't know my brother, Loki, like I do. And there's nothing left in him but lies and hatred. Whatever he's bated you with, whatever empty promises he's given you, I urge you to abandon them. He's nothing to offer you but pain."

"That's not true," I said without thinking. "Loki has brought me pain like you wouldn't believe, but-"

"It's nothing compared to what he's capable of," Thor interrupted, his tone grave. "Do not trust him, Anna. The next time he comes to you, send him away. Do not even let him speak to you."

Emma began to grunt unhappily and I reached down, picking her up and setting her on my lap. Thor reached over and cupped a hand under her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. She responded with a large toothless smile and he grinned at her.

"I know, you're happy here, Anna," he continued. "But if you continue to entertain Loki's effect on you, he will bring an end to that happiness."

"What do you mean?" I asked, but Thor shook his head.

"When he visits you again, send him away. Trust me." With that, he stood up and walked away. I only pondered his words for a few moments before returning my attention to Emma, bouncing her away happily in my lap.

Later in the afternoon, after Emma finally went down for her nap, I went for a hot bath, tying my hair up while the tub was filled. As I slipped into the water and reclined back, I stared up at the ceiling, breathing in deep the scent of the now dissolved bath salts. Lilac.

The scent brought my mind back to the prison once again and I smiled, feeling the warmth of arousal as I recalled the sweet events which had played out. Closing my eyes, I thought of Loki in his cell, imagining he was probably absorbed in another one of his books, quite possibly bored out of his mind.

Imagining his long slender fingers turning the pages made me remember how they'd felt when tracing down my torso...

I slipped my hand into the water and thought back on watching myself in the mirror as he'd cupped my breasts, how amazing he'd felt when he'd laid me back and teased me with his tongue, and the moment he'd first sheathed himself inside me...

The water splashed as I arched my back, gasping loudly, and I pulled my hand out of the water, allowing myself to sink back in the last lingering wave of pleasure.

_"It will not happen again. Not until I've given you what you need."_

I sighed, opening my eyes to the empty bathroom, wishing now more than ever I knew what he'd meant by that.

When the night came, Loki did not return, not surprising me, and I barely had time to feel disappointed as I was sound asleep very shortly after Emma went to bed.

For the first time since my arrival to Asgard, I dreamed.

I dreamed I was back in the hospital again, waking up for the first time after the accident. Beside me, my mother sat, holding my hand, her eyes closed and tears rolling down her face. At once I felt the urge to speak up, to let her know I was all right, but for whatever reason, I could not will my mouth to move. Instead I just lay there, watching her as if she were grieving.

In the back of my mind, I could hear a voice calling me, and my eyelids grew heavy.

I barely had time to catch a glimpse of a nurse stepping in, her eyes focused on the clip board in her hand, and her voice asking my mother, "Has nothing changed?" was the last thing I heard before my eyelids fell shut.

When I opened my eyes, nausea hit me harder than before, and before I had time to move, a hand came down, clasping the back of my neck, tugging me upwards as a pail was placed in front of my face just in time. I grasped both sides of it, heaving forward as I proceeded to vomit, coughing and choking as my stomach continued to twist and turn, and it felt like hours before it finally stopped.

When I picked my head up at last, noticing it was already daylight, a hand reached around, wiping my mouth dry with a handkerchief, and as soon as I was clean both the handkerchief and the pail vanished in a flash of green. I sat still, panting as sweat rolled down my face, and I felt a hand rub my back.

"What happened?" I asked, after a moment, hearing Loki sigh behind me.

"We're running out of time," he stated darkly. "Tonight, I will come for you, Anna, but I warn you, it will be far worse than before."

"What? What do you mean?" I turned to look at him, and he placed a hand on the side of my face, his eyes filled with a mixture or concern and... regret?

"I had hoped to prolong it... but I fear that's no longer an option. Everything is about to change, and you have to know the truth before it's too late. Tonight I will come for you, and you shall have your answers." I opened my mouth, but he silenced me with a kiss, his hand grasping the back of my head as he pressed me to him in an almost crushing grip. After a few breathless moments, he parted his lips from mine to whisper, "I would have you by my side... always." With that, I felt him fade away, leaving me alone once again.


	12. Chapter 11

(A/N: I have a tumblr page dedicated to all my fan fiction, and it contains some stories I have not published here. The link is on my profile. Please feel free to check it out).

**Chapter 11**

I could barely describe it, but something felt wrong throughout my day. The nausea from the morning never fully faded, and my mind was bogged down by a cloud of depression. At what, however, I did not know. I had nothing to be sad about, that I was aware of, but I still couldn't shake it.

It was the same sort of sadness I'd felt when I'd first arrived, that had kept me awake until Loki first visited me...

It had left me in a rather foul mood, and I kept to myself, not really going out of my way to make conversation with anyone. One thing I was almost certain of, something about my dream had truly upset something deep inside me, and I was not shaking it off.

I can only assume word of the state I was in had reached Frigga because by noon she came to pay me a visit in my chambers just as I was finishing up a feeding. "You kept yourself locked away today," she observed as she stepped in, offering me a friendly smile. I did not return it, focusing, instead, on getting Emma to sleep. "Is anything troubling you?"

"No," I lied. She stood still for a few moments, watching me lay Emma down before speaking again.

"What's happened, Anna?" she asked, and I turned to face her.

"Just a dream," I answered. "Nothing more."

"A dream?" she asked, raising her eyebrows a bit. "A dream has you sulking around like this?"

"Pretty much." I sighed, really wishing she would simply leave me alone.

"This wasn't another one of your nightmares was it?"

"No. It was just a dream. And honest to god dream. The first real dream I've had since I got here."

"Was it?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied, deciding I was done with this conversation. "I'm sorry, but if you'll please excuse me, I-"

"Did you not heed Thor's warning?" Frigga snapped, startling me. "You didn't drive him away, did you?"

"Drive who away?" I scoffed. "My 'nightmares?'" Frigga pursed her lips but said nothing. "I thought it was impossible for him to see me. I thought that he couldn't possibly leave his cell without someone noticing. Wasn't that what you both told me?"

"Anna..."

"How long have you known? How long have you both known I was telling the truth? Were you just lying the whole time?"

"Mind your tongue!"

"Then tell me what is going on!" I hissed, wanting to yell but keeping my voice low for fear of startling Emma awake. "Because I am done with the mind games, and the lies! I want to know what's happening to me!" There was a long silence, and Frigga exhaled sharply, staring at me the same way a mother would to a child who had just had an outburst.

"The truth is, Anna, that you already know what the truth is." I narrowed my eyes.

"What?"

Her eyes looked away from me and her frown deepened. "I will not help you find your answers. All I can do is urge you to abandon this foolishness and consider the life you have here." She stepped up to me slowly, looking at me with sad eyes. "You have a home here, Anna. A home where you are safe and loved. There is no shame in choosing happiness." With that, she turned and left me to think on her words.

Night came, and I sat on my bed, waiting for him. Emma had gone to sleep easily enough, making me glad I at least didn't need to worry about having another fussy night. As I waited I could feel my adrenaline rising, the feeling of dread growing stronger as I remembered Loki's warning. Tonight would be far worse than before.

All I could wonder was, what could possibly be worse?

He'd already explored what I considered to be my worst memory, so what did that leave? How could anything be worse than reliving the moment I watched my husband hurt my child?

I waited and waited for what seemed like hours, my aching back eventually bidding me to lay down against the pillows, and I stared at the ceiling, wondering what could be keeping him.

Eventually sleep began to take over and after fighting it off as long as I could, my eyes closed themselves and I drifted off.

"Can you look at me, Anna?"

I opened my eyes, my head throbbing, and the first thing that came into view were my hands resting in my lap, a hospital bracelet around one wrist, and I became aware of the hospital pajamas I was wearing. I picked my head up, looking around, blinking several times as though my own vision was too difficult to bring into focus. There were white walls surrounding me, and in front of me, clipboard in his hands, sat a man in a white coat.

"Take your time, Anna," he said gently, watching me cautiously as I looked around.

"I'm dreaming..." I murmured sleepily, reaching up to rub my eyes, but he shook his head.

"Try to focus, Anna," said, leaning forwards. "Do you know where you are?"

"A hospital," I answered, looking around. "This is a dream."

"Why do you think that?" he asked.

"Because I'm not really here..." I answered. "This isn't real."

"Can you remember anything, Anna?" the doctor asked. "Before this moment?"

"Can I please lay down?" I asked, rubbing my head, feeling exhausted.

"In a little while," he answered. "Right now I just want you to try to answer some questions, all right?" I nodded lazily and he continued. "Can you tell me what you remember of the last few days?"

I groaned, thinking for a moment, then rested my forehead in the palm of my hand, my eyes falling to the floor. "I was in an accident," I replied. "I woke up in the hospital and Jane was there."

"Jane?" the doctor asked.

"Jane Foster," I answered. "She came to help me..."

"I see..." he said, jotting something down.

"She helped me escape," I continued. "And I was taken to Asgard. That's how I know this is a dream." I looked up to the doctor and smiled. "I'm not really here. I'm in Asgard."

"Are you?"

"I left this shithole behind, and I am never coming back." The doctor sighed and nodded.

"I see," he repeated. Behind him, a nurse stepped in, accompanied by my mother, and when my eyes fell on her my heart dropped. She looked as though she had been horribly aged by the last few days, her hair slightly frazzled, dark circles under her eyes, and a deep sadness in her eyes.

"Mom?" I gasped, causing the doctor to look up from his clipboard and twist around to face my mother and the nurse. My mother's eyes widened when they fell on me, and I got to my feet, stumbling my way into her arms, grabbing her in a crushing embrace.

"Oh Anna!" she cried, holding me tight, beginning to sob and I stepped back, placing a hand on the side of her face.

"Mom, I'm okay!" I urged her, still smiling, and a smile broke out across her face.

"Thank god, Anna!" she wept. "I've missed you so much!"

"Please don't cry!" I said, wiping her face. "Emma and I are safe and we're both fine!" Her smile faded.

"Wh-what?" she asked.

"We're both fine, Mom. We're in Asgard. We're in Asgard, Mom!"

She looked to the doctor in concern. "What's happening?"

"Anna," he said, pulling me away. "I'm going to talk to your mother for a moment. I need you to wait here, all right?" I looked at him confused, and a nurse stepped up, taking me by the arm with a gentle grip.

"Come on now," she said, leading me back towards the chair. "It's all right, dear."

I obeyed, sitting down and folded my hands in my lap as I listened to the doctor and my mother speak in a hushed tone.

"This is the most lucid she's been in weeks," he said to her. "She's still rambling on about these fantasies, but I think we have a real chance to reach her." My brow furrowed.

"But why is she still talking about Asgard? And Emma-"

"It takes time. We just have to be patient. She's recognizing faces now, and the fact that she recognized you means she's already well on her way to coming out of it."

I turned my eyes to my mother, narrowing them as I heard her tone grow even softer, clearly trying to keep me from overhearing. "Does this mean... is this possibly the sign of brain damage?"

"We can't be sure until we've run more tests."

"I don't have brain damage!" I snapped, jumping to my feet, the chair clattering to the floor behind me. "None of this is real, Mom! This is just a dream!" The nurse sprung up, taking hold of my shoulders.

"You need to calm down," she said.

"Don't tell me what to do!" I shouted, pushing her off me and storming my way up to the doctor. "Stop telling my mother I'm crazy! I'm not crazy! I'm fine!"

"Shall I sedate?" asked the nurse who was hot on my heels. The doctor did not look at her, but kept his eyes on me.

"No," he answered. "That won't be necessary. I'd like to try something else first."

He gestured to the door and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Anna, if you could follow me, this will only take a minute."

"Please, Anna..." my mother pleaded. "They're only here to help..."

I sighed and nodded, following the doctor into his own private office where he sat me down, closing the door behind him and sitting himself down behind his desk. "Feel free to have a seat, Anna," he said, offering me a smile. I looked around and pulled up a chair to his desk.

"The last thing I want you to feel is upset," he began. "So I want you to try to relax, and focus for a few minutes, all right?" I nodded and he pulled out his clip board, reading it over for a few minutes before speaking. "You mentioned the accident. Do you remember it?" I nodded silently. "What exactly do you remember?"

"It was midnight," I replied. "And I was sneaking out with Emma."

"You were running away?"

"Yes," I confirmed with a slight nod.

"From your husband?"

"Yes."

"Was he abusive towards you and Emma?"

I nodded, shuddering an inhale. "Yes."

The doctor nodded and sighed. "And during your escape, that's when you were hit by an oncoming car?"

"I had Emma in my lap..." I muttered, blinking away tears. "That car could have..."

"Why don't we just focus on you for now, Anna," said the doctor, and I nodded yet again, shifting slightly in my chair.

"You say you woke up in the hospital after that, and that's when you saw this Jane Foster?"

"She was in the room with me," I agreed.

"Had you ever seen Jane before that?"

"We were classmates. She went to my high school."

"And how exactly did she bring you to Asgard?"

"She brought me to Thor," I replied, sitting back and drawing one leg up over the other. "He was departing with his brother, Loki, and she managed to bring me there before they left and convinced them to take Emma and myself away."

"And why was he here with Loki?"

I blinked. "You're kidding, right?" I asked. "The attack on New York? The Chitauri? Probably one of the worst tragedies to hit us in a long time?"

His expression was vacant and I shook my head.

"Do you not watch the news?" I cried.

"Anna, when your husband became abusive, did your mind ever wander?" he asked. I raised an eyebrow at the sudden change of topic, but shook my head.

"No," I answered. "I remember every minute of every beating he ever gave me."

"What about when you were alone? When your husband was gone, what did you do?"

"I took care of my child. What does this have to do-"

"What about when your daughter was sleeping and you had time to yourself? Did you ever daydream?"

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Everybody daydreams."

"Did you, perhaps, use it as a way of escaping the real world for a few moments, just to remove yourself from your husband's abuse and perhaps the stress of caring for an infant?"

"You think I'm crazy..." I sighed, shaking my head. "You know what, I really don't care what you think. This is a dream, and any moment I'll wake up in Asgard again. So go ahead and think whatever you want, it really doesn't matter."

He shrugged and nodded. "Well, while you're waiting to awaken, could you perhaps indulge me once more?" He opened a drawer to his desk and pulled something out. "Do you, by any chance, recognize this?" He held up a DVD case and handed it to me.

As my eyes scanned over the cover, my hands began to shake and I felt the color drain from my face. "What's this?"

"Anna, the events in New York that you described, took place in this movie. It's fiction."

"No..." I said, shaking my head. "No. This is a trick."

"Would you like to see for yourself?" he took the case from me and opened it, popping the DVD into his laptop and turning it so the screen faced me. After a few clips, I suddenly saw it all. New York under attack, Thor and the Avengers fighting the Chitauri, Loki standing atop Stark Tower, watching it all take place.

"These memories you claim to have, Anna, of Thor, Loki, Asgard... they're not real," the doctor explained as I stared at the screen with my jaw hanging low. "Your mother told me you always had a strong imagination as a child. Even kept imaginary friends for an unnatural amount of time."

"No..." I whispered, shaking my head. "I'm dreaming."

"Anna, please try and focus..."

"This is a dream!" I shouted, standing up. "You're not real! None of this is real! I'm not here! I'm in Asgard!"

Standing up, the doctor ran to his door, leaning out into the hall to call for the nearest attendants. Before I knew it, I was being closed in on by nurses, and I felt as though I were being suffocated.

"I'm not here!" I screamed, fighting them off me. "I'm in Asgard! I'm in Asgard!"

In the back of my mind I could feel something tugging me back, and I closed my eyes, willing myself out of this hellish nightmare, ignoring the sounds of nurses trying to restrain me, ignoring the doctor shouting out instructions over my screaming, and, feeling like I'd grasped a hand in the dark, I pulled away, opening my eyes screaming and thrashing myself awake back in my bed.

Standing at the foot of my bed, with a grave expression on his face, was Loki.

"Where were you?!" I cried, my body still shaking from the impact of my nightmare. He stood silently in the darkness and I waited impatiently for him to speak.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Loki stood in the shadows, watching me with a grave expression on his face, and I sat shaking on the bed, beads of sweat rolling down my face. "Where were you?!" I shouted a second time. "Why did you let me fall asleep?" He didn't answer, and I climbed out of bed, making my way towards him. "What's going on? Why am I having nightmares about a hospital?" He looked away from me, his eyes moving to the floor and I felt my rage boil over. "Tell me!" I screamed.

"You were not dreaming, Anna..." he said softly. I stood silent for several long moments, and in a painfully slow manner, he brought his eyes back up to meet mine. "You were awake."

"What?" I cried. "No, I'm awake now!"

"No... you're not," he answered. "The truth is, you've not been awake for a long time."

I blinked.

"Wh- what?" My body was shaking, a film of tears covered my eyes, and I felt sick to my stomach. The image of the hospital was still burned in my brain, and I was expected to accept that all this time, that had been my reality? All the while I'd thought I'd been in Asgard, safe from my husband, safe with my daughter, but the reality had been something else?

I felt as though I might faint, my heart pounding in my chest, my breathing growing into heavy panting, and all at once it felt as though the walls were closing in on me. Loki sighed, looking at me with nothing but sorrow in his eyes as he watched me struggle to come to grips with what I'd just been told.

"This can't be happening..." I whispered, shaking my head wildly. "No... No this can't be happening!" My legs gave way, and Loki grabbed hold of my arms, kneeling down slowly with me as I buckled to the ground, hyperventilating and shaking furiously.

"Breathe!" he whispered, taking my face in his hands. "Anna, breathe!"

"Why is this happening to me?" I bawled loudly, my breathing growing ragged. Loki forced me to look him in the eyes, and he held me with a firm but gentle grip.

"Anna, you must listen to me! Everything that's happened to you since you've arrived, everything you've ignored, every question you've left unanswered, all of it has happened for a reason." He paused, taking in a slow breath as if every moment of this was painful for him, and he took my hands. "All that remains now... is the truth. And that's what I'm here to give to you, if you're ready for it."

"I... I..." My head dropped towards the floor. I couldn't formulate words as my anxiety grew unbearable, and he reached out a hand to touch my face. "All of this..." I finally managed. "Everything was a lie?"

"Anna..."

"How?!" I cried. "How did this happen?!"

"Anna, I swear to you, I will give you your answers," he said as he brushed my tears away. "But before I do, there's something you must understand." He curled a finger under my chin and turning my head upwards to face him. "Once everything unfolds, you will have to make a decision. And it may be the hardest decision of your life, but you will have to make it. I need you to understand, Anna, that once we go down this road in your memory... there will be no going back."

"You're not real," my voice broke as tears fell down my face.

He leaned closer, his breath brushing over my skin. "I'm as real as you make me," he whispered. "Come, and I shall give you your answers."

I closed my eyes as two more tears escaped, and I nodded. When I opened them, I was in my house, and Loki pulled me to my feet. From where we stood, I could see a faint light coming from the living room.

"There's a reason you grow sick every time you've tried to focus on your memories," he began, leading me towards the living room. We stopped once we had actually entered the living room, and I saw both myself and my husband sitting on the couch, The Avengers playing on the TV. "Do you remember this?" Loki asked, looking to me.

I nodded slowly, feeling like a fog was beginning to lift. "I didn't even want to see that stupid movie," I said, my voice still shaky from sobbing. "But my husband was insistent." Now that I was remembering, I couldn't stop wondering how I'd forgotten this? How had I come to forget what was real and what was simply the contents of a movie?

"Something changed for you, that night. Do you remember?"

"Yeah," I said with a nod as a single tear rolled down my face. "That was the first time I saw you." The scene from Germany was playing and I sighed. "You made the idea of subjugation sound so enticing. You made me wonder if I stayed because this was really the life I wanted. That maybe there was something that attracted me to it." Loki listened to me ramble silently, and I smiled sadly. "But the more I thought about it, the more I kept imagining..." my voice trailed off and I choked, looking down, ashamed of myself.

"Imagining what?"

"...what it would be like to be ruled by you, instead of my husband." I looked up at the TV again and smirked. "You know... it's funny that you filled yourself in my husband's place, the first time we did this... because when the movie ended and my husband took me to bed... as far as I was concerned, I was not having sex with _him_ that night."

Though I didn't look at him, I knew Loki was grinning smugly. "I'm flattered," he replied coolly. The scenery changed and I saw myself sitting alone in front of a computer, browsing through videos, photos, articles, all of which only having to do with one thing and one thing only: Loki.

"When you were young, you escaped into your imagination regularly when life became too dull or frightening."

"I also kept imaginary friends a lot longer than I'd like to admit," I added. "I just hated being alone."

"And when you became trapped in an abusive relationship, you probably never felt more alone in your life. Your imagination was the only comfort you had. And in the dark of your loneliness, your obsession grew."

I shook my head. How many hours had I wasted in front of a computer, staring at a fictitious character? Significantly less, once Emma was born. But even then I was eager for any time I had myself to just look at pictures of him, read stories of him, watch videos of him... even daydream of him.

How many times had I screamed his name out while masturbating?

"Your obsession consumed you," Loki continued. "So in a way, it was only natural that when your mind finally decided to retreat fully from reality, it chose to retreat to where it had learned to feel safe."

"So... everything... Asgard, Thor, your mother... that was all me? I created that fantasy all in my mind?" Loki nodded. "But... then if it was my fantasy... why were you so persistent with dragging back painful memories no matter how many times I tried to stop you?"

"Because, while your mind was creating a reality it felt safe in, it could not ignore the truth it was trying to hide you from." We were in Asgard again and standing before me was Thor and Frigga, both of them staring vacantly at nothing. "Thor and Frigga were your mind trying to fight back reality by making you feel safe and welcome, even bidding you to send me away so that you might never know the truth."

"There is no shame in choosing happiness," Frigga said, still looking at nothing.

And in the same manner, Thor spoke as well. "I know you're happy here, Anna. But if you continue to entertain his effect on you, he will end that happiness."

I shuddered, shaking my head. "This still doesn't make sense. Why?" I asked. "I've been living in Hell for so long, why would my mind retreat like this when I'm already used to so much?" Loki didn't answer and a new question came to my mind, though I dreaded to ask it. "Loki... what happened in that accident?"

By the way his lips pursed, I could tell he was clenching his jaw, and I began to fear what he was going to show me.

"The truth," he whispered at last. "I cannot be with you for this, Anna," he added, taking my hands in his. "You will have to face this alone. And then you will have to make a decision." I opened my mouth to ask, but his lips came down on mine before I could utter a word. Even in the heat of rage and confusion, I could still feel some warmth from his touch, and I did not push him away. After a moment, he parted to whisper, "I would have you with me, always," and I watched as he stepped back. In the blast of a horn and a flash of headlights, a car barreled right through him, smashing into me.

My head was resting against a steering wheel, my body hanging to the side slightly, having been thrown by the impact, and the smell of burnt rubber hit my nose, my head pounding. Blood trickled down the side of my face, and I attempted to sit upright, a sharp pain in my ribs stopping me from moving very far.

I could hear the door of the car that struck me open and slam shut, the driver stumbling towards me in a panic, his voice being one I did not recognize. "Are you all right in there?!" he shouted.

Something was wrong, but my mind was still barely forming coherent thoughts. All I knew was, aside from the hissing sound of my engine, the quiet was bothering me.

"I'm stuck!" I began to shout, the pain in my ribs causing it to come out instead as a pathetic squeal. The silence that followed the end of my words was beginning to drive me mad, and very slowly things began to grow less foggy.

"I'm calling for help!" the man shouted. "Just hang on!" I heard him fumbling for his phone, and I let my head hit the steering wheel again, coughing as the pain overwhelmed me.

And again it was quiet...

And that's when I realized Emma wasn't crying.

"Emma?" I gasped, my eyes snapping open. I could still feel her body locked within my arm which was sandwiched between my torso and the steering wheel. "Emma!" I cried. Closing my eyes and gritting my teeth, I threw my left arm over the steering column and pulled myself upwards, flopping backwards into the seat with a pained cry. I looked down, but it was so dark I could barely see her. "Emma!" I screamed, jostling her slightly with my arm. "Emma wake up!" I shrieked as tears fell down my face. "God please! No! Emma!"

I closed my eyes, letting out a blood curdling scream until there was no air left in my lungs, and everything grew dark.

"Anna... Anna can you hear me?"

The darkness faded, and I was sitting in a hospital bed, my face still wet with tears, and I became aware of the hand on my leg. I very slowly turned my head to the doctor, and choked back a sob.

"Anna?" he asked, as I made eye contact, and all I could do was offer a slight nod. "You were screaming in your sleep," he said, removing his hand from my leg.

"Emma died..." I whispered, my throat feeling completely hoarse and dry. "In the car... when we were hit... she was killed..." There was a long pause before the doctor nodded.

"You remember," he said softly. Tears flooded my eyes and I let out a wail, burying my forehead in my hands.

"Oh god!" I cried, and he placed his hand on my back, rubbing it while I shook. "No... no... Not Emma... God, no... Not Emma!" I thought of how it had only been an hour ago that I'd been holding her in my arms in Asgard, rocking her to sleep. I thought of her big toothless smile she always gave me. I thought of all the times we cooed back and forth at each other.

I thought of how I would never experience any of that again and my heart shattered.

"Did she suffer?" I asked, unable to bring my voice higher than a whisper, and the doctor shook his head.

"Her neck broke on impact. It was instant," he replied, still rubbing my back.

I remembered sitting in the car, waiting to be cut free, weeping as I held her lifeless body. How long had I been forced to sit there and wait while clutching my dead child? An hour? More?

"It's my fault!" I wept. "I was trying protect her and I... Oh Emma!" I ran my fingers up into my hair, digging my nails into my scalp and the doctor waited patiently while my emotions overtook me.

There were not enough tears. I couldn't cry loud enough. I felt this overwhelming sorrow burning me from the inside, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not seem to release even an ounce of it. If anything, it only grew worse with each passing moment.

"I know you're in pain," the doctor said after a while. "But the fact that you're able to acknowledge what happened... the fact that you're even acting conscious right now... means that you're finally coming out of it."

"I don't want to be here..." I wept. "I want to go back. I want my daughter back!"

"But you know that's not possible," he said, and I nodded, completely broken.

"It was all just a dream..." I whispered, still shaking. "None of it was real."

"Exactly, Anna."

"But it was so much better there..." I felt another wave of sorrow wash over me and I was blinded by tears once again. "She was there... we were safe... we were happy... Was that so wrong?"

"Anna, I know it seems that the best thing, the easiest thing right now would be to escape back into your imagination and get away from all of this. I know you think it'd make you happy again..." he removed his hand from my back and sat back with a frown. "But in the end, it wouldn't be real. Your mind would be in its own world, but your body would still be here, lingering in a catatonic state, like it has been since the accident. And what's more, you know now that it isn't real."

I drew my legs up and buried my face in my knees, exhaling slowly while I hugged my legs tightly.

"And in knowing that... you must understand now why there is no going back, Anna. Your only choice left is to face the truth. Wouldn't you agree?" I didn't answer him. He looked at his watch and sighed. "I'm going to bring you a sedative to help you sleep, and we'll talk more about this in the morning. All right?"

I nodded and waited for him to return with a syringe. Once it was done, I lay back, my pain slowly dulling away until sleep crawled over me, tears still falling down my cheeks as I drifted off.


	14. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

My dreams did not take me back to Asgard, but instead kept me trapped in that hospital bed, my chest feeling like a weight had been set on it and my eyes burning from tears. I rolled over on to my side, curling into the fetal position and clutched my pillow tightly, staring into the darkness at the wall.

I could feel a presence behind me.

"You're not real," I whispered.

"I'm as real as you make me," Loki whispered back.

I inhaled painfully and curled up even tighter. "Is there really no going back now?" I asked.

"Is there?"

I felt the mattress sink beside me, and I closed my eyes, unable to cry any more.

"So this is it then… I'm to decide between facing the truth and living in fantasy."

A long pause.

"Yes."

"Will I know it's fantasy?" I asked.

"At first," Loki answered. "But you have already fooled yourself into thinking it was real once. With time, it might happen again."

I sniffled and opened my eyes, remaining silent for a very long time while my brain processed the decision I had to make.

It must have been a few hours before I finally spoke, still clutching my pillow tightly. "Show me something beautiful."

The sun began to shine through the window, and as the room lit up, the white walls turned into beautiful stone columns. The bed disappeared as stepped out of it, and my hospital gown stretched out in length, shaping itself into my favorite pair of jeans and a dark green v-necked shirt. My long and messy hair tied itself back in a beautiful intricate braid, standing at the balcony ahead of me, was Loki, his back facing me. As I stepped closer, he turned to face me, a warm smile on his face and Emma in his arms, flashing me a wide grin.

I reached out for her, holding her small body tightly as I breathed in her scent and closed my eyes, the hole in my chest healed itself. I felt Loki press his lips to my forehead and whisper in my ear, "Welcome home, Anna."

Outside of my mind, my body lay in the bed, a smile on my face as a tear rolled down my cheek. My mother clung to my hand, her eyes silently pleading my unmoving form, and beside her the doctor sighed.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered. "She's gone."


End file.
